Canadian Heritage Committee on May 13th, 2009

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

--but we're going to cancel the meeting.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

It wouldn't be logical to cancel our meeting for an activity like that. I think it makes no sense.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I've had discussion around the table. It was kind of agreed that's what we could do. You don't have to go. It's not mandatory--

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

We didn't agree. You're talking to me about it, and I'm saying no.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

--just as it's not mandatory to come to this committee. You can send someone in your position, if you want to.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Chairman, we're talking properly amongst ourselves. You're telling us about an activity the nature of which you are unaware and you're saying we're going to cancel our meeting to attend it.

I'm speaking to you nicely and I'm telling you no. That's not a way to do things; it's not polite.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

As chair, I'm going to make a ruling that the June 1 meeting is cancelled, and we will go on as I had directed.

Again, I apologize for the interruption and for holding up our witnesses.

I welcome you to this committee.

The Alliance québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son, perhaps you could make your presentation, please?

[Brunhilde Pradier, President, Alliance québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son]

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Brunhilde Pradier, and I am President of the Alliance québécoise des techniciens de l'image et du son, the AQTIS.

AQTIS is a Union that represents some 3,000 creative artists, artisans and technicians who are embers of our association and another 1,000 freelance technicians. We are thus approximately 4,000 experienced professionals, who work in the motion picture and television industry on both Quebec and foreign productions shot in the province of Quebec.

Our members are freelance professionals who, every day, create the TV programs we all watch and in this capacity, and given our numbers and the role we play in this industry, we consider ourselves as indispensable partners in this industry. Our presence here today is a first for us.

This time, the challenges facing the Canadian broadcasting industry today are so substantial that the creative artists and artisans working in our independent television milieu, members of our association, are eager to have their voices heard, and on their behalf, I thank you for providing us with this opportunity to speak to you today.

AQTIS is here today, before you, to raise awareness about the importance of having typically Canadian, local and national productions aired by Canadian broadcasters. This is why we will approach the subject looking at two critical elements, namely the characteristics of the francophone market and the place that should be maintained for independent productions.

Our members work primarily on francophone productions and essentially form the nucleus of independent productions. Hence, we feel it is relevant to address these two fundamental dimensions for our industry, our members and their families.

As a union organization of professionals, we are concerned about the important changes that might be made to the Canadian broadcasting system, because these changes will inevitably have a serious impact upon the working conditions of our members, indeed upon the very existence, or need we say disappearance of their work.

The Canadian broadcasting system occupies a public space, much like our highways and road systems. It enables Canadians to talk to one another, to express themselves, to identify with one another, to create links and to share their values and cultural experiences amongst themselves and indeed with the entire world. The Canadian broadcasting system thus contributes to reinforcing and promoting our cultural identity and the sense of belonging of Canadian citizens vis-à-vis one another, in other words, our sense of belonging to a larger society and an assertion of our sovereignty.

Accordingly, as a major consideration for any nation, it is not at all incongruous for our governments to be concerned about preserving such an essential space for a society that strives to be vigorous, lively and inclusive. It is likewise not incongruous for all its citizens to aspire to have access to this space in order to grow and develop as individuals, thereby contributing to the development of what truly constitutes a country's wealth, namely our talents, both individual and collective.

To ensure that the Canadian broadcasting system continues to develop and enrich our lives, and fully play its role in contributing to Canada's cultural identity and the growth of our society over the coming years, the government must ensure that this fundamental orientation is re-affirmed and accordingly, should focus its energy on one key priority: namely that of Canadian content.

To properly serve the interests of Canadians, the Canadian broadcasting system must offer top quality productions that simultaneously provide information and analysis, that affect us and that meet the expectations of the greatest number of citizens. However, when we talk about the greatest number of citizens, we're not talking solely about the most strongly represented group, as might be measured by a given audience rating system.

Canadians will continue to be well served by the Canadian broadcasting system if the latter is able to take maximum advantage of the possibilities that are emerging and meet the challenges that characterize the new communications technologies. To this end, the government should continue to work closely with the regulatory agencies and the industry to circumscribe and overcome the different obstacles along the path to the transition towards digital television and new media.

Canadian broadcasting is at a crossroads. We are entering a new and exciting era in terms of communications and culture. High speed, broadband, reading virtual files on the move and virtual reality are now a part of our daily lives. Creative artists and professional technicians are very excited at the possibilities offered by these new tools, as would be a painter with a new canvas format, and ardently wish to exercise their talents in these new domains.

It would seem incredibly absurd to us that the universal access to digital signals that is embodied by the creation of the physical structure, would take place to the detriment of the quality of the content, and of Canadian content to boot.

Today, when we listen to the submissions made by the conventional broadcasters who have come before you, we learn that the financial pressure is so great that it threatens the viability of local programming. Now we cannot deny that we're all going through a very difficult economic situation, but this is true for all the players in the broadcasting industry. Our members are well versed in the foregoing as their total income decreased by 14% between 2005 and 2007.

We are also aware that your committee wishes to approach the problems of the broadcasting industry from a local programming perspective. However, when we hear the submissions made by the conventional broadcasters who have come before you, the threat is not only vis-à-vis local programming and the number of local programs, but also Canadian programming as a whole.

AQTIS sincerely believes that the TV industry is not going through the kind of crisis that conventional broadcasters would have you believe, so that they could receive subsidies from the Canadian government, subscription fees that they are losing so as to then ask for regulatory relief and more lenient conditions to keep their licences. Indeed, we're convinced that the regulations and licensing conditions are curbing the unbridled development of the business plans of these major conglomerates and this is what has got their goat. It's all about business looking after business interests alone, that have been required to address cultural and social goals protected by our governments for more than 30 years.

Of course, this industry is currently undergoing structural changes that require certain adjustments to the regulations so as to maintain our broadcasting system that has always been the pride of all Canadians. The transition to digital, the new broadcasting platforms that include the Internet and mobile telephony, video on demand should, in our opinion, be seen as opportunities to rethink the broadcasting industry by refocusing our attention on the importance of Canadian content, on quality and the diversity of creative talent in this country.

I would like to talk to you abut the characteristics of the francophone market in Quebec and remind you that independent productions made a prominent entrance onto our TV screens in the mid-80s by enlisting a broad diversity of Canadian talent. That period witnessed a fierce loyalty develop between francophone TV viewers and their favourite drama series. This important upheaval also witnessed the fading fortunes of American TV series being translated into French to the benefit of original French language Canadian productions.

Omerta, Un gars, une fille, La petite vie, to name only a few, all these series would achieve audience shares of more than 40%. To more effectively explain to you why our creative work has been so dynamic, I'd like to quote an excerpt from my speech at the last Jutra awards ceremony.

The creative artisans from AQTIS are proud to participate alongside their colleagues in innovative works, because we know that the films we make bring out the very best in all of us, through our collusion, our inspiration and our innovative outbursts, even with our sometimes cash-strapped budgets, where the end result is decidedly greater than the sum of each one of our parts. Our films have a life of their own. They blaze a path into our hearts and minds and become a part of us, of our lives and the lives of our fellow citizens. Films are an adventure for the viewer, but they're also undeniably an adventure for the people who make them, we know that to be true. Every year, our cinema pushes us to explore new paths, with new interactions between artisans and creators that inevitably lead us all to surpass ourselves. And always, year after year, each of our artists pitches in their talent, ever more developed and richer from all their shared creative experiences in the past.

At that time, I was talking about our film industry, but I must say that the same is equally true for our TV productions, as our independent TV production model is exactly the same. We're freelancers, we work on independent productions.

Our professional resources are experienced and talented, and their creative capacities are ever so dynamic, since they're constantly being stimulated by a perpetual renewal of creative collaborations.

We assert that it is precisely such a dynamic that has fostered the proliferation of so much creative force, that we have exploited and that enables us to enjoy so much success.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I don't want to interrupt, but we're at 10 minutes. If you could wrap up, please, I'd appreciate it.

[Brunhilde Pradier]

Please allow us to remind everyone why such independent productions are part and parcel of the Canadian broadcasting industry.

First of all, during the first three decades of television's development in the province of Quebec, there was almost a total vertical integration of production, programming and broadcast activities. The role of independent television production during this period was thus modest, indeed marginal. Secondly, let's recall the gridlock created by this model of vertical integration of production and broadcast activities, and the stark diagnosis delivered by two independent commissions that examined the situation in the early 1980s.

In essence, the latter observed an unwarranted concentration of creative and production decisions in the hands of a very few people, lacklustre innovation, creative fatigue and sclerosis, declining efficiency, productivity and competitiveness, limited input into the development of new talent and into the diversification of places to nurture conceptual, creative and production progress.

My presentation is a little long. I was really hoping that we could take a little more time to do this demonstration.

Certain policies led to the creation of various regulations compelling TV broadcasters to allocate a significant portion of their independent production programming. It can be said that the goals were to diversify the sources of creative thinking and innovation; stimulate healthy emulation between numerous production houses and thus boost quality and variety; offer more employment and opportunities for self-expression to a multitude of authors, rather than continue producing in-house with full-time staff. This made it possible to achieve the objectives and the major successes in francophone production in Quebec.

We may certainly affirm that most of these goals have been achieved and that Quebec's independent TV production has radically altered the Quebec television scene. In a universe where production and operating models are constantly evolving, the diversification of creative and production settings must continue. This goal transcends the interests of the independent production milieu and the workers who make a living there. The pursuit of such a goal is indispensable to the dynamism and competitiveness of the broadcasting system as a whole, of its capacity to make use of all kinds of local creative talent, in both major urban centres and from regional Canada, and to properly play its role as an intermediary between the creative expression of our authors, directors and creative artists designers and the expectations of TV viewers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

I do have to draw your comments to a close now, because we've gone over four minutes. If I may, I'll take our next presenters and hopefully you'll get a question that you can answer with information from the rest of your presentation.

We'll move on now to the Quebec Musicians' Guild, please.

[Luc Fortin, President, Section Local 406 of the American Federation of Musicians of Canada and the United States, Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec]

Distinguished members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, thank you for inviting the Quebec Musicians’ Guild to appear before you today. My name is Luc Fortin. I am a professional musician and have been the President of the Guild’s Board of Directors since March 2006.

The Quebec Musicians’ Guild, the GMMQ, is an association representing over 3,000 professional musicians. Its primary purpose is to defend and promote the economic, social, ethical and professional interests of the musicians it represents and to negotiate working conditions for its members through collective agreements. The GMMQ is recognized under federal and provincial laws on the status of the artist. We are also affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, which has 10,000 members in Canada.

Based on the terms provided to us, we will focus on: the importance of the diversity of voices and federal government assistance for local production.

With regard to the diversity of voices, section 3 of the Broadcasting Act states that:

(i) the programming provided by the Canadian broadcasting system should: (ii) be drawn from local, regional, national and international sources, (iii) include educational and community programs; (iv) provide a reasonable opportunity for the public to be exposed to the expression of differing views on matters of public concern.

As CRTC President Konrad von Finckenstein told the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on March 25, 2009, media concentration threatens the diversity of voices. And I quote:

The inherent risk with having a small number of large companies is that it could lead to a reduction in the diversity of voices in the broadcasting system. A democratic system like our own depends on a range of perspectives in news and information programming.

We would add that a variety of cultural perspectives is equally important. The current trend is the merger of arts production companies with media conglomerates. When a single company controls the medium and the content, this also threatens our diversity. Our national broadcasting policy must support and guarantee access to varied cultural sources that reflect the diversity of our national culture.

To quote Mr. von Finckenstein again:

[...] television stations serving a population of less than one million are having a hard time maintaining the quality and quantity of their local programming. What's more, Canadians told us in no uncertain terms how much they valued their local television news.

Local television production is an important tool in promoting a diversity of voices and cultural diversity. It nurtures a feeling of community belonging; it promotes the local cultural and social life and the arts in general; it strengthens the belief that the arts are an important part of our lives; it helps keep local artists from leaving for big cities; and it allows touring artists to forge stronger ties with the community.

A vibrant social and cultural life in local communities is extremely valuable. It gives all members of the community the opportunity to grow and enjoy life to the fullest.

Now let’s talk about Government of Canada assistance for local television. The Local Programming Improvement Fund could support initiatives to save local television stations. It should also encourage broadcasters that have always been committed to local television, such as the CBC/Radio-Canada.

CBC/Radio-Canada has historically played an important role in broadcasting diverse local content, both culturally and in terms of information. Unfortunately, the public broadcaster will not receive the 37% funding earmarked for it under the future Media Fund.

Yet the CBC/Radio-Canada, as our national public broadcaster, has the mandate pursuant to the Broadcasting Act to offer programming that "reflect(s) Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions" and "actively contributes to the flow and exchange of cultural expression."

It becomes very difficult to fulfill this mandate if the CBC/Radio-Canada must also have the best ratings in public television while stable funding is withdrawn. Local television, which could also be broadcast over the Internet, even exclusively, must not only provide local and regional information but also showcase local artists and inform the public about cultural life in their region.

The production of musical content must be encouraged that exposes artists to regional markets. The Local Programming Improvement Fund must therefore also encourage the dissemination of culture locally. Greater support is needed for musical programming on the major television networks.

More opportunities for our artists on the major networks would benefit the same artists who have been supported locally; conversely, a strong regional culture provides a talent pool that benefits everyone. Broadcasting policies must be developed today in a broader context, with each component playing a role in a balanced ecosystem. Local broadcasting is part of it, as are the major networks, specialty channels, independent production (on the Web and on traditional television), artists and cultural workers, cable distributors and the major networks. All these elements make up the television environment to which the public has access and they help describe our overall cultural environment. Local television must be part of this world, a link in our cultural ecosystem.

Current policies are contradictory: there is a lack of consistency with the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, and a lack of consistency within the policies. Let me give you a few examples.

Since the diversity of voices is important, the new Canada Media Fund should help create content that reflects Canada’s cultural diversity and not merely that is profitable or generates high ratings. Programming with high ratings does not need public funding to the same extent because it generates the highest advertising revenues.

The new Canada Media Fund appears to contradict the spirit of the act, which calls for the Canadian broadcasting system to "include a significant contribution from the Canadian independent production sector." This sector will not be represented in the decision process for awarding funding. The new board of directors will consist of two members appointed by Canadian Heritage and five members appointed by broadcasting distribution undertakings.

Although the CRTC set out certain rules to preserve the diversity of voices, the new Canada Media Fund has the opposite structure: large private enterprises will control the fund, essentially taxpayers’ money. Under the Media Fund, producers of web television content will have to work with traditional broadcasters to receive support. There will be no 100% Web productions.

Yet Mr. von Finckenstein, the CRTC President, stated before the Committee: "Conventional television can no longer bear the largest part of the obligations under the Broadcasting Act."

If this is true, why is funding not available for web productions specifically intended for the Internet? Moreover, web productions could round out local programming where traditional television broadcasting is insufficient.

In conclusion, although the Local Programming Improvement Fund is a worthwhile initiative, much greater consistency is needed between government policy and the workings of the broadcasting system in order to give expression to a real diversity of voices, providing Canadians in all regions with information and representative local cultural programming.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you for that presentation.

We'll go to the first question.

Mr. Simms, please.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, everyone. Thanks as well to the technicians. Thank you, Mr. Fortin.

When I went to broadcast school quite some time ago--I won't say when, but it was some time ago--

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

It was in black and white then.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

No, it wasn't in black and white, Charlie, but here's what happened. The world of videography came along. Everybody was making a big deal about the fact that there I was, a journalist who could shoot as well, and it was passed off as some kind of art. Quite frankly, it was cheap labour. That's exactly what it was. Instead of two people shooting a story, we had one.

Here's the other side of that coin. I wasn't very good at the camera. I could do a story and I knew the news, but I couldn't do justice to the shooting. But in the midst of all that, somebody who I would consider to be some sort of an artist, and maybe a full-fledged artist, lost his job.

What that did, in my opinion, was degrade the quality of the people we have who shoot video and film, the audio technicians and all of that. What we have devolved into, I think, is an industry that suffers, but the access to the technology has become much easier. In those days, it was a big machine, and it took a long time to edit. Now it's only so big. A 10-year-old can do it. That's a challenge. YouTube is a challenge, no doubt about it, as you've touched on.

Beyond that, it is difficult for the regions to keep people in the television or film industry, because a lot of this work is centralized. I don't know if you'll agree with this, but where I grew up in central Newfoundland, we have a hard time getting people to stay--the artists I spoke of.

What can we suggest to the CRTC to make sure the artists that I mentioned are able to continue their craft and the regions are able to reflect a regional message to a national audience? I think it's going to become a disaster when we're not able to do that in this country. When I was a child, Mickey Mouse and Bonhomme were the same to me. I could recognize both. But as for a Canadian child growing up in central Newfoundland today, I'm not sure if they'd know who Bonhomme is, and that's a shame.

I'd like to know what suggestions we can make to the CRTC. Feel free to talk about the LPIF as well.

[Brunhilde Pradier]

Thank you, Mr. Simms.

At the licence renewal hearings, TVA Group/Quebecor Media recently proposed to cut its local programming hours in its regional broadcasts. This currently totals 21 hours, and these people were proposing to reduce that figure to 18. I think that would be a fundamental mistake. Maintaining quotas is not based on pointless reasons. With respect to the business objectives of these major conglomerates, this isn't a thorn in the foot or a spanner in the works. Its purpose is to ensure that Canadians have access to their artists, to productions and to the voices they are used to hearing.

Maintaining professional production is always a challenge, but maintaining a professional level presupposes a consistency in production. Everybody sings, but not everyone is a singer. To be a virtuoso in that field, you have to practise singing. For artists and crafts people who design and create television programming and film, it's exactly the same thing.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Is it possible for small towns as well?

[Brunhilde Pradier]

I think you have to be able to practise your art. If someone is starting out as an amateur videographer and becomes a virtuoso by practising his art, so much the better.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Merci.

Monsieur Fortin, on the LPIF, the local programming fund, what we're hearing a lot of on this committee is that stakeholders seem to be worried that we're not going to put regulations around this funding that is available for local programming. Now, obviously this local programming has to reflect the regions to the rest of the country, as in the case of the CBC, so what rules would you suggest should be around a local programming fund?

I throw that question out there, à tous.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

The answer has to be very short, please.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

That's my life story, Mr. Chair.

[Luc Fortin]

We've also raised the question as to whether Radio-Canada should have access to the fund. I think it's entirely contrary to Canadian policy that Radio-Canada doesn't have access to that fund. It's part of Radio-Canada's mandate to produce diversified local content that reflects the regions. Radio-Canada will have to have access to that fund, especially if it is subject to cuts at other levels. That's very important.

I'm pleased to hear you talk about Newfoundland, which has a very rich local culture. Newfoundland artists need an investment in local programming in order to reach a certain level of professionalism and to get out of university community radio and perhaps have access to the television airwaves. In addition, local programming should not be limited to news bulletins; it should also reflect the local reality, which also includes local culture and artists.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gary Schellenberger]

Thank you.

We'll move on now to Ms. Lavallée, please.