I'm going to start by saying that I believe today as much as any time since the beginning of public broadcasting there's a tremendous need for you. I believe that despite the challenges you've faced, you've done a great job, both on the English side and on the French side.
I represent a riding in northeastern Ontario, as you may well know, the riding of Sudbury. I'm a francophone, so I listen to many programs, both in French and in English. I hope the financial challenges you face will not prevent you from continuing some of the great things you've done.
On the other hand....
I often watch RDI at the same time as CBC Newsworld. I like to watch French television. It is important for me to be able to hear the news, especially in the morning, because you know that as politicians we need to know what is going on. Yet, I don't see myself reflected in the news, I don't see Ontario nor Alberta there. Honestly, the program is mainly focused on Quebec. It is wonderful, but I would like more to be done for francophone communities.
I firmly believe that democracy is ill-served when people cannot be better connected throughout this country. That is essential to me. I know that you are trying, but I would ask you to try a bit harder, if possible. The same applies to radio.
These are criticisms, but they're more demands that you try to do more. I listen to CBC radio; I listen to Radio-Canada. When I drive home from Ottawa there are vast areas of this country that I drive through and the only service that's available on my car radio--and I don't have Sirius--is CBC or Radio-Canada. It's very important for those of us who drive through vast areas. But what happens is any kind of local programming ends at six--and it's not all local programming; it's mostly regional programming.
I'll give you an example. Last year as I was driving home CBC radio reported that they thought there was a fire at a seniors' home in Sudbury. They weren't sure. They couldn't get any facts to back it up. You have to understand that the CBC radio offices in Sudbury are about four blocks away from where this fire was. As we got closer to six o'clock--and this was on the English as well as the French side, nobody could get any information--and I was trying to find out what was happening, at six o'clock they signed off and said, sorry, we weren't able to get any information on this and our programming ends now, so they went to international.
So I ask you, can you somehow bump up some of that regional service? We have no other source of news up there. The other broadcasters don't give us anything. CBC and Radio-Canada are the only things we have. To me, it's wonderful that you do such a great job internationally, but you have to do a better job within the country as well.