Canadian Heritage Committee on Dec. 6th, 2007

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

A private broadcaster has luxuries that CBC/Radio-Canada doesn't have. It has—and I alluded to that a few seconds ago—a balance sheet that it can do some things with. It can take risks that are far more encompassing. It's like in a venture company where out of 10 investments you will have two investments that will bear fruit. This flexibility doesn't exist with Radio-Canada as much as I think it exists in a private broadcaster.

So in terms of management, I can't see why it can't be as efficient in a private company context as in a public company context.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

At the same time, we have public broadcasters around the world that are known for their creativity and the high quality of their programming, and they function within the same kind of context. How would a public broadcaster find those luxuries that you talk about, that commercial broadcasters have?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

I think flexibility starts with being able to see funding stabilized over more than 12-month periods. I think if you do any kind of strategic planning, it has to sit on a strong financial base. I think that's where it starts.

From there, creativity flows. Obviously, creativity is at the centre of what this company does every day. This is why CBC/Radio-Canada is so good at what it does.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

CBC/Radio-Canada, in terms of a public broadcaster, is way down at the bottom in terms of per capita contributions by the citizens of this country to its financial success. Is that something that you think needs to change, or is it something that concerns you?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

I'm very well aware of Mr. Rabinovitch and his team's numerous presentations here, and most recently again, to try to help certain aspects of its mandate--for instance, the envelopes that have been requested on extending the regionalization issues. I think that is very important in what CBC/Radio-Canada is trying to do. So in all, again, we must try to ensure stability in financing going forward.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Is my time done?

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Yes, you went a little over time.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Lacroix.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Mr. Brown.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Congratulations, Mr. Lacroix, on your appointment.

You've had a very long and successful career, which has brought you to the place you are now. Looking back over the last 30 years, what do you believe your experience will bring to the position?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

As I told you in my opening remarks, sir, in the different positions that I have held, I've actually worked with a lot of great teams, I have built teams, and I have focused my efforts on trying to help these companies strategically plan, take care of their employees, and get the financing they need to be able to meet the goals they've set. This is what I've been doing for a very long time, and these are the skills that I think I bring today.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Tell us a bit more about the experience you've had with the CBC in the past.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

In what regard do you mean?

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

You've worked with the CBC. Tell us a bit more about that, how that experience went and what you learned from that about the CBC.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Oh, yes.

I was involved in basketball for a long time, and as a basketball person, I was asked to be the colour commentator. I went to three Olympic games for the CBC as a radio commentator in 1984, 1988, and 1996. I worked for the French radio network and then for the French radio and TV networks over that time. Then I was a regular collaborator on a Saturday evening sports show that la radio française had, which was called Hebdo-Sport. As I told you, that's when I saw the quality of the people in the studios, and the technicians, and what great things they did with my stuff when I brought it in, when I thought it wasn't very good. They just made magic with it. I have first-hand experience in seeing how good these people are.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

When you first found out that you were going to get this position, what kind of feedback did you get from your friends and colleagues and family? What did they have to say about it? I'm sure they had a few viewpoints on the CBC.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

What's absolutely amazing about this position is that everybody has an opinion on CBC/Radio-Canada--everyone. I think I've received 600 or 700 e-mails from all sorts of friends and people. They always say, “Congratulations”, and then, “You know what, here's what I think of this.” They ask, “What's happening with that program?”, and “Are you going to do something with this?” That's the feedback I'm getting right now.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Can you share with us what stood out to you the most from that feedback?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

People care. They really care about CBC/Radio-Canada.

They also understand that a person with a business background.... Grâce à Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien, I was involved, as you know, at Télémédia. I really found the industry fascinating. Because of it, I now have the opportunity to end up in the position that I'll be starting on January 2, which is absolutely awesome.

So people get that. People understand that CBC/Radio-Canada has a real role to play in Canada.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

A CEO always receives some criticism. Tell me, how do you respond to those who are uncertain about your appointment?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

I tell them that I respect those views.

It is very polarized. People have very strong views about CBC/Radio-Canada. There's no grey about this. They either love the corporation and what it does or they have issues with funding, or they have issues with the role it plays.

I'm a convinced person: I am fan of CBC/Radio-Canada. And I tell that to everybody who questions why I'm doing this.

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Let me quote from your presentation:

Like me, you know that there are tremendous changes transforming the broadcasting environment right now. To succeed in this context, CBC/Radio-Canada must continue to be creative and must employ audacious strategies.

Tell me a little bit more about how you see yourself employing “audacious strategies”.

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

Let me tell you that when I started getting involved in the broadcasting business at Télémédia, we had a radio company. The only issue we had was trying to get market share from somebody else in the country. We didn't have to fight the Internet. We didn't have to fight people downloading stuff at different times.

This is a very challenging environment right now because of what the new platforms and the new technologies bring to the business environment we're in. That's the challenge.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

We're pretty close, Mr. Brown, so thank you very much for that.

Mr. Scott.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would add my congratulations and best wishes, Monsieur Lacroix, on your appointment.

I would like to explore the reference you made in your opening statement to “strategic alliances” and finding “new sources of revenue”.

I think I'd like you to elaborate on that. Would you consider selling off parts of CBC as a new source of revenue?