Canadian Heritage Committee on Feb. 14th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Madam Lavallée and Mr. Lafrance.

I have a question for you.

You mentioned that you're going to use radio as the conduit to expand your audience. Is the CBC going to give southwestern Ontario a new local radio station?

[Hubert T. Lacroix]

As Kirstine said, there are many criteria that are going to be looked at as we roll out this plan. They include the number of people in communities that are not served, and the competition, the number of other players in that particular space. Over the next five years we will identify the best places for us to expand our services.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I can tell you it would be very well received.

Thank you very much for your testimony. It was very informative, and I appreciate all your comments and questions in this regard.

We'll allow our three witnesses to depart.

I'll give the floor to Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It has been brought to my attention that the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, which partly inspired this set of mini-hearings we're having, are unable to attend Wednesday's meeting due to a scheduling conflict. I want to provide them the opportunity to appear--I'm sure all members of the committee do--so I move that we provide an additional meeting to allow them to come. I believe they indicated they can come in the first week of March.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I will endeavour to do that if members are in agreement.

Madame Lavallée.

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

Mr. Chair, have you received any requests from people wanting to speak to the committee about the CBC/Radio-Canada's plan?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

No.

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

Has the clerk received any requests?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Yes. Requests have been received from the Alliance de la francophonie de Timmins, an organization in Mr. Angus' riding, from the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario pour la région du Timiskaming, which is also in Mr. Angus' riding, and from the Peterborough-based group I Love CBC. Mr. Scarpaleggia has also asked to address the committee.

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is one group that asked to appear, and Quebecor Media Inc. asked to appear as well.

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

Why are requests from some groups granted, while others are rejected?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

We agreed to hold two meetings on this subject, one today and one Wednesday. However, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting informed us that they could not be here on Wednesday.

So, we're discussing this matter today.

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

I see. So, in terms of granting or denying requests, the same principles of fairness apply to everyone

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

In terms of the witness list, there are five witnesses that people have asked to appear,

including to the Alliance de la francophonie de Timmins, the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario pour la région du Timiskaming,

I Love CBC-Peterborough, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, and Quebecor Media Inc.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

They didn't actually ask to come. Mr. Scarpaleggia asked--

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Yes.

On Wednesday, we have the minister and officials appearing. We only agreed to two meetings, so my point to you today is that if you want to have a third meeting, I need direction from you on this. I wasn't going to call a third meeting to have these other witnesses appear because you didn't give me that direction. The principle on which I based my decisions as chair is the direction you gave me. The direction you gave me some weeks ago was to have two meetings, one for the CBC and the other one for the minister and Heritage officials. Mr. Del Mastro is suggesting that we have a third meeting to have Friends of Canadian Broadcasting appear. It's up to the committee to give me direction.

Mr. Angus.

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

Thank you.

It had been my understanding, because I've been called by some of these groups, that Friends couldn't make it and this group from Peterborough was going to take its place. My understanding was they thought they were going to be on Wednesday. So I don't know what happened there, but I would—

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I instructed the clerk to change the witnesses who were appearing on Wednesday because I didn't think it was appropriate just to have one of these third-party groups of witnesses appear and not afford that opportunity to the other four witnesses. As chair, I made that decision to amend the meeting notice to simply have the minister and departmental officials.

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

I would like to offer them an hour. I'd feel uncomfortable having just one witness speak for one hour.

I'd like to see if it is possible if Alliance or ACFO could come, because I know they were interested. I think there were some health reasons that explain why they couldn't make it. But I wouldn't mind having another viewpoint, particularly for the francophone community outside of Quebec. It would be helpful. If they can't make it, life goes on, but if we're going to meet on March 1, it would be good. We'd hear a couple of opinions, and then we could close this study up.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay.

So the direction, as I'm getting it from the committee, is to invite three witnesses to appear. It would be Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, l'Alliance de la francophonie de Timmins, and troisièmement, l'Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario pour la région du Timiskaming. Okay?

Thank you for that guidance. I appreciate it. I'll endeavour to try to slot in the third meeting. It's not going to be for a couple of weeks because—

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Who's coming? All of them?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

I'm going to invite all three of them to appear.

Mr. Del Mastro.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Are we now saying we're going to invite everybody who wants to come or just three of them? How are we determining just three, because I'm concerned that the committee runs the risk of being probably...?

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

It closes after this.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

It closes after this. So shouldn't we also allow Quebecor to come in? Aren't they on the list of people who are asking to come?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

To be consistent, if we're going to open it up to private sector media, then we should also extend an invitation to the other major national media chains.