People do indeed have long-standing perceptions of community radio. It is often said that community radio stations are subsidized. But in actual fact, NCRA member stations do not receive any subsidies to cover their operating or capital costs. Stations represented by the ARC receive funding under the Official Languages Support Program envelope, equivalent to 50% of their capital cost. This means that a community must come up with the remaining 50% from taxpayers in order to set up a radio station. This is why establishing a radio station is a endeavour of seven to eight years in the making, notwithstanding all of the other stages in the process. Once they are on the air, radio stations do not receive any subsidies.
Quebec is the only province in Canada that recognizes the importance of community media. Since the 1980s, a program in place supplies between 10% and 20% of the funding needed to meet the operating requirements of certain stations, primarily remote stations that serve as the main source of regional information.
Therefore, it's a myth that community radio is funded by the State. This is not true. Most, if not the vast majority of community radio stations must raise funds each year in order to meet their budgetary requirements. That is the current state of affairs. Community radio has been left to fend for itself. Our government is not concerned with the community sector of the broadcasting industry. It puts all of its eggs in one basket—the Crown corporation—without any regard to the community sector, which plays an important and pivotal role in Canada's social and cultural development, in the preservation of Canadian sovereignty and in the dissemination of local news. I believe it's high time for our government to realize that the community sector has something to say and does contribute to the development of broadcasting in Canada.