Thank you very much.
Having been here for the Canadian Television Fund's review hearings, we heard, as you well know, the two particular companies that were contributing saying they felt they didn't have enough say, felt that the fund should be distributed in a different manner and wanted to have more of a say. Without putting words in the CRTC's mouth, not that I necessarily agree with the recommendations they made, I think they were trying to square that circle a little bit and keep them from walking away with their toys, and keep them in the fund.
I agree with you, however. I think that what it has created is a ghettoization. You're absolutely right, the most important part of ghettoization is going to be the lack of competition.
I must say that I wanted to hear your comment on the recommendation that says that increased emphasis be placed on audience success as a criterion for access to the new private sector funding pool. For me, that is precisely what both Shaw and Vidéotron wanted. They wanted blockbusters, they wanted things that could play to the public. It didn't matter whether the quality was there, or whatever, and that is a great concern to me.
I'd like to hear a comment on that, because what you have is public broadcasters locked into a place where they have to be forced to compete among themselves. This, in effect, is not a really good thing for them, because they are trying to do Canadian programming that is quality, that may not be necessarily popular, but is esthetically good and whatever the other criteria are. I think that particular piece that allows the public sector to go in a totally different direction, with totally different criteria from the private sector, is going to create a real problem down the road.
You are also right, and I would like to hear what suggestions you may have with regard to the fact that the piece that comes out of Canadian Heritage, as you said, is yearly. Do you think it would enhance matters or make matters better if there were a five-year fund now, a five-year program? Do you think the $120 million is enough, or should it become greater? What do you see happening to that fund over the next five years? Do you see that fund being restricted only to the private sector, or should it go into the big pot, the CTF?