Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thanks for the presentations today.
I just wanted to go back to the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, briefly.
You mentioned a couple of things. You talked about concentration in the broadcast industry and how that's leading to some deals that you think are offside or certainly one-sided. I will say that I'm happy to hear that in the purchase of CanWest, Shaw has committed to the $125 million of Canadian content investment over the next five years that CanWest had originally committed to. I think that's good news.
We had a broadcast study last year, and I do think it's incumbent on us—I agree with other comments at the table as well—that once we come up with our digital strategy, we're going to have to look at other things we've established, like the Broadcast Act, the CRTC, and see how they jive with our strategy to make sure everybody is pulling in the same direction, that we have a common directive. If we're going to invest more in the CBC, I think we need a performance review from the Auditor General to make sure this is all going in the same direction, so we can really be effective with every dollar we're putting in, regardless of how much it is. Then maybe we can make a case for more.
I'm really concerned. I wanted to mention this the other day, that in order for us to step up on Canadian production, and to encourage international markets of it, I think we need to start to value it more here. I'm not aware of any comments you may have made on the recent CRTC decision on value-for-signal or fee-for-carriage, but the decision, to me, is remarkable. The entire trump card on this is the ability to block out U.S. networks if you own the rights to U.S. shows. They also reduce Canadian content requirements.
Once we get beyond this current period where there are commitments for Canadian content, and understanding that over-the-air broadcasters are going to have to spend themselves into oblivion to buy U.S. shows so they've got the bargaining power, are you concerned at all that the new focus is all on foreign content—mostly U.S.—and that regardless of whether there's a fee or not, that fee is going to be determined by how much foreign content you've got? Ultimately, Canadian production is really going to suffer. It seems to me that it runs in a completely opposite direction to the CRTC's mandate.
I'm just wondering what your feelings are on that.