Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, committee staff, and ladies and gentlemen.
First, thank you for the opportunity to appear at your hearings to address the committee's concerns about diminishing local television coverage. My name is Tim Caddigan, and I'm a regional manager with TVCogeco in Ontario. With me is Maureen Tilson Dyment, senior director of communications and TVCogeco programming, and Yves Mayrand, vice-president, corporate affairs.
We would like to apprise the committee of our role in providing our communities with an alternative form of local coverage so that we can fill in the picture, so to speak, regarding the spectrum of local television services that many of your constituents receive. We will provide a brief background regarding our evolving roles and responsibilities, the scope of our TVCogeco community channel operations, and where we see our future direction. And we will provide illustrations of our content and local impact.
While no longer a requirement of licence, Cogeco continues its significant support for the ongoing development of local cable television. Like the broadcasters, we utilize a wide range of technologies in the acquisition and delivery of our content, such as digital formats, mobile production trucks, web streaming, and even satellite uplinks. Our studio facilities are open to the public, as is training in television production, which is provided by our experienced and dedicated employees.
These resources provide a powerful means of local expression, one that our public partners eagerly embrace to get their messages heard. Together we provide a rich diversity of programming that contributes to the dynamic and unique character of our communities.