Mr. Angus, I would like to follow up on Sylvain's comments.
In the days when we received better TV media coverage, we produced extraordinary artists, known not only in Quebec but also in English-speaking Canada. We only need to think of CANO from Sudbury, there are many artists, for instance Robert Paquette, as well as modern artists like Damien Robitaille. Thankfully, in Damien's case, CBON radio was there and thanks to competitions, including in Quebec, his songs got aired. But there could be far more opportunities available to artists.
Some of our theatre troupes have a hard time getting exposure because we do not exist in that media universe. In that regard, there remains considerable work to be done. The Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, the Théâtre de la Vieille 17 and Nouvelle Scène, in Ottawa, are having difficulty making it to the next level. We have poets like Patrice Desbiens, from Timmins, who is now very well-known in France, in Quebec and throughout the world. Had it not been for the SRC he could never have gotten the recognition he so rightly deserves. There is also Jean-Marc Dalpé, a playwright, who now lives in Montreal and has made a career for himself in Quebec. Those are all Franco-Ontarian artists.
There is a new generation, but as far as we are concerned, we cannot rest on our laurels. We must keep fighting for programs and competitions like Ontario Pop, set up by radio, for them to be renewed each year, in order to give artists a stage to perform on.
Earlier on, you were referring to star-system. We find the situation incredibly difficult to deal with. In fact, what we have should rather be referred to as the no star-system. We would like there to be a forum for francophone artists outside Quebec. They have the talent, all they need is an opportunity to be heard.