Thank you.
That was an excellent presentation this morning. I want it on the record that I'm a big fan of the work of the National Film Board. My daughters are vociferous critics of things they don't think are worth watching, and in the last few months we have watched two National Film Board documentaries, The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali, and Harvest Queens, which was made in my riding. Both films got the thumbs up from the teenage section, so I think that's a definite sign of relevance.
To follow up on the issue of relevance, I think your conclusion goes to the heart of one of the key issues in this study. We're doing one of the latest in probably a long line of studies of the CBC, and every study comes up with the same issues, like the need for money, and how to compete against the Americans.
But what's starting to emerge in this study that is perhaps different from in the past is the fact--as you point out--that the universal nature of digital media favours the globalization of film production and distribution. Without a national strategy, Canada risks being outstripped by other countries in the race to establish a national presence in the new audiovisual environment.
The question we've heard a number of times is how do we move toward productions that include a long-tail plan for broadcast in new media platforms? The National Film Board has been out in front on this, so how do you monetize the National Film Board productions that are online right now, and how effective has it been?