Evidence of meeting #6 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, Association de la presse francophone
In terms of support programs for newspaper operations, we are talking about $490,000. For advertising, the amount comes to around $430,000. I do not have the exact figures.
Liberal
President, Association de la presse francophone
That was $490,000 for 2013-14, under the aid to publishers program.
President, Association de la presse francophone
No. That was for operations, for assistance to publishers.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
I understand, but what was the sum for advertising?
President, Association de la presse francophone
For advertising, it was about $430,000.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
If we go back, over the last five years, was there a decrease?
President, Association de la presse francophone
Yes. We went from $1.9 million to around $430,000.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
The MP who spoke before me often mentioned that one impact of digital media is that you are being asked to do more. Can you comment on this?
President, Association de la presse francophone
We can see the impact of digital media.
I have a very effective website and I have not seen any federal advertising either. We therefore need to rely on newspapers, newspaper news sites and radio. We will then target the people. Indeed, these news sites have gained credibility and already reach francophones in the various communities. If the government decides to advertise online, it should do it with fixed amounts; it should pay fixed amounts to post ads on such sites or digital platforms. However, we are not seeing, right now, any of that federal advertising. We are not seeing it at all, even online, and even if that is the directive, we are not seeing it.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
For Manitoba, I often see provincial government ads in La Liberté.
President, Association de la presse francophone
That being said, I think there has been a decrease there too.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Yes, probably.
Mr. Côté, from the Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada, I am going to ask you the same question. How much do you receive from the federal government?
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
For our radio stations, we get nothing. With regard to federal advertising, we received $110,000 this year. We went from $750,000 in the year H1N1 hit to $100,000 today for 27 radio stations. You can do the math. That is not much.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
You went from receiving $750,000 to $100,000. That has tremendous impacts.
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
Yes, they are tremendous. A total of $100,000 for 27 radio stations, that is peanuts.
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
It pays the power.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Okay.
You have clearly described the impact of digital media on radio. Therefore, I will not ask any questions on that topic.
Ms. Lanthier, you mentioned the changes made by the CRTC that affected the CBC. Can you repeat what these changes are? I did not quite grasp it all.
Chair, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
Recently, we appeared before the CRTC because it was looking into concerns about local television, and therefore about local regional stations.
We told the CRTC that regional and local CBC television stations were still very significant players in francophone communities and that these stations were often the only ones available in our communities. We also reported that the CBC's ability to serve our communities in terms of delivering news and non-news programming had greatly decreased. We therefore proposed a local television fund to reinvest in the CBC and in our communities' regional stations.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Did the CRTC make any policy changes that affected you?
Chair, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
My colleague knows more about that than I do. I will let him answer your question.
Serge Quinty Director of Communications, Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada
When the media crisis hit in the wake of the 2008 recession, the CRTC established the local programming improvement fund, which was financed from a certain percentage of cable companies' revenues. The purpose of this fund was to strengthen the local programming of television stations, and CBC received some of this funding as well. In 2012-13, the CRTC decided to eliminate the fund, which has resulted in the disappearance of almost all non-news programming, including youth, cultural, and variety programming.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
Time is short. There is so much information. There is only about a minute and a half remaining.
Ms. Lanthier, do you have any suggestions or solutions to propose?
I will give you the last word. What can this committee do to improve the situation in francophone minority communities?