We think there are two really big problems. One of them I had time to refer to in my brief remarks, and that is the gap between its mandate and its resources. The evidence of CBC dealing with that gap is visible for all to see.
But I'll take a moment to refer to the other problem with the CBC, and that is a problem that goes back to the beginning. The president and the board of directors of the CBC are appointed by political patronage. This has yielded some good and some bad appointments. The problem is that on average, the person who is in charge of the CBC is not a person who is experienced in broadcasting.
The current president, for example, is, as you know--he's been here--a very affable and professional person with legal experience in mergers and acquisitions law. He's never run a company. He's never run a broadcasting company. He has no experience with radio or television, marketing, production, or anything else.
We think the board of directors of the CBC--and by the way, this has been covered in past reports of this committee--should be chosen from among the best and brightest Canadians, and we believe that the board of directors should have the power to hire and fire the president. We believe this accountability is lacking right now, effectively.
I remember when Mr. Angus asked Mr. Rabinovitch once, when he was here, who Mr. Rabinovitch considered to be his boss. It took Mr. Rabinovitch a few seconds before he said that it was the people of Canada and this committee. To my amusement, Mr. Angus said, “You mean I'm your boss.”
The CBC president is not accountable to anyone.