Evidence of meeting #15 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was stations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
Correct, someone's going to absorb it.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
You're going to say it's the cable companies and the cable companies are going to say it's the people who are viewing it and consuming it. That's the concern I have.
When Ms. Dhalla asked about the CRTC, in your response about local programming you called it “local reflection”, and that's a bit of a concern to me. When you say “local reflection” and you're going to put some of this money towards “local reflection”, what's going to be new? Not something maintained, but what's going to be new? What is the taxpayer getting that's new for this huge cost to the taxpayer? I know you don't want to call it a bailout, nor will I. I disagree with you if you think it's only going to be the cable companies that are going to dig into their own pockets.
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
What we're saying is if we can't see a way of continuing.... We don't want to reduce the service. I don't think there's a point of having local television without local content on it, frankly. We are soon going to get out of that business, and I don't believe anybody else is stepping up.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
So, sir, what will be new? You've obviously projected. What will be new? What will we get?
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
You will get the continuation of what you have now, which you are not going to get unless something changes.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Okay. It's unfortunate that's the answer. Are you going to rehire people? Are you going to put that morning news back? Given what you've just answered, I'm a little—
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
We didn't have morning news in Winnipeg. I think you're thinking of the Rogers station.
Conservative
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
If Peggy thinks it's a good idea, and if she has the funds, that's her decision.
Peggy.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
This is a question taxpayers want answered before they say, “Yes, government, help them”.
Peggy Hebden Station Manager, "A" Barrie, CTVglobemedia Inc.
Actually, we've looked at some of the numbers and we don't know the orders of magnitude, we don't know how much it's going to be. And right now we're now losing a great deal of money and we need some money to stop the bleeding so that we can actually, maybe, not lose any money this year. But if we do get this fee for carriage, we believe that we would be able to put it back. We don't know that right now, and we'd have to see what the orders of magnitude are, but we would like to think that's the way it's going to go.
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
Our challenge is that we represent people who are not in the business of paying taxes to make you profit. They want to get something out of it, and that's why I'm imploring you to make those plans before you ask for the help. Taxpayers need answers to those questions. I would encourage you to perhaps read the Barrie Examiner from today's date. I think it's very clear. I think it really does emphasize what most taxpayers are thinking. I would encourage you to read that.
I'm done. Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
I'll let Ms. Hebden answer that question, please, and then we only have five minutes left for small questions.
Station Manager, "A" Barrie, CTVglobemedia Inc.
Thank you.
The article that came out in the paper today was quite interesting. I talk to viewers all the time, and that's not what they're telling me. They're telling me that they'll do whatever it takes. They love the service we provide. They're really disappointed we're not doing the morning show, as are we. We do a great job with our six o'clock and our late news, and we're passionate about doing a great job. And we want to be there for them. We don't want to continue to lose money. We want to be a profitable business. We want to just break even, for a change. It would be great.
Our viewers are saying, “What's it going to take? We can't lose this station.”
Conservative
Shelly Glover Conservative Saint Boniface, MB
So what about the morning show? Are you going to put it back?
Station Manager, "A" Barrie, CTVglobemedia Inc.
If the money works out and we have money so that we can afford to do it, we'll do it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Okay, I have to stop this.
I'm going to allow everyone one short question, and please make it short because we really do only have about four minutes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
I'm allowing everyone one short question, and please, one short answer.
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
I want to get back again to what I had asked earlier in regard to this confusion of what the position of CTV and the private broadcasters is in regard to fee-for-carriage. I'm just quoting from a transcript here. When Mr. von Finckenstein came before our committee he said he asked you, “If we implement a fee for carriage, are you willing to make commitments to local communities by using the fee for local programming?” He said he got “a resounding silence”. He said it was right there and you can check the record. He said, “I posed the question; I didn't get an answer.” You take a look at the transcripts. You have obviously said something very different.
The position of the CRTC seems to be different from what you're stating today. In addition, you take a look at yourself, at Canwest, at all of the broadcasters. Everyone is on life support. He talks about a local improvement fund of $60 million over 72 stations that would be eligible across the country. Is that not a band-aid solution? So the question becomes, do you think the CRTC has the tools or has acted quickly enough and fast enough to deal with this crisis in broadcasting across this country?
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
We are going into the beginning of a long hearing next week, on Monday, and we very much hope that the solutions will be found in the course of that hearing.
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia Inc., and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc.
I have to hope.
