The last recommendation we'd like to make is that Canadians have mandatory BDU carriage of CBC and CBC Newsworld and of the sales approved of The Documentary Channel, as well as a reasonable subscriber fee for each channel. The educational networks should also be granted the same status. It should be required that the majority of the extra funds raised by this mandatory carriage be invested in Canadian programming. If this is not implemented, there is a danger that when deregulation hits the industry, the viewership and resources, particularly for CBC Newsworld, would take a major hit, leading to a significant loss of commissioning dollars and subsequently of commissioned Canadian films.
In summation, I want to say that we feel that CBC should return to its mandate: news, documentary, arts, and only the strongest Canadian drama. I also want to reiterate our support for a strong CBC, a strong public broadcaster. At its best, the CBC can define what it means to be Canadian, and it can be our country's ambassador to the world. We sincerely hope that short-term problems at our public broadcaster don't cloud its national and international importance. Canadians need the CBC, and so does the Canadian documentary production industry.
Thank you very much on behalf of DOC Quebec for the opportunity to present.
We welcome your questions.