Good afternoon.
I am here on behalf of the Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada, or APFC, which, as you know, represents independent French-speaking producers working in francophone minority communities across Canada.
Our members contribute to the economic well-being, cultural vitality and survival of their communities by promoting a diversity of francophone voices across the country.
The APFC has made its position clear to all of the appropriate authorities regarding the principles that should guide the current review of the Broadcasting Act.
We appreciate this opportunity to do so yet again.
The first principle is to end the preferential treatment for online companies exempting them from the obligation to support the creation and dissemination of Canadian content. Bill C-10 would put an end to that fundamental unfairness. We welcome and wholeheartedly support this change.
The second principle is especially important: to include clear provisions in the objectives of Canada's broadcasting policy that would mandate the Canadian broadcasting system as a whole to reflect the situation of official language minority communities, or OLMCs, and encourage OLMC-produced programs. Currently, only the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is required under the act to reflect the situation of OLMCs and their unique needs. No such objective applies to the system as a whole.
As a result, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, imposed specific conditions of licence on the public broadcaster regarding the share of independent programming expenditures that must be allocated to OLMC producers. Other than vague expectations that were not met and an incentive that proved equally ineffective, the CRTC did not impose similar requirements on private broadcasting undertakings.
This underscores the importance of including a clear provision in section 3 giving the CRTC the ability to implement concrete and effective measures aimed at enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities.
This also shows that the Official Languages Act alone is not enough to ensure that the regulations governing Canada's broadcasting system meet the overall objectives of the broadcasting policy. Experience has shown that the CRTC often makes decisions that undermine the interests and vitality of OLMCs.
It is paramount that the Broadcasting Act mention the objectives relating to OLMCs if those objectives are to become a reality. On that point, representatives of both English and French OLMCs agree across the board.
We have attached our proposed amendments to that end. They pertain to sections 3 and 5.
The third principle is to incorporate meaningful provisions in the act to strengthen the foothold of original French-language programming in the Canadian broadcasting system.
Although members of OLMCs are minorities in their respective provinces and territories, francophones as a whole are a minority in Canada, and especially in North America. They become even more vulnerable when their ability to express themselves hinges on market forces alone. For that reason, we are proposing amendments to sections 3 and 11, which are also attached.
Furthermore, as an association that represents independent producers, we urge lawmakers to include a provision, in sections 9 and 10, that would give the CRTC the power to regulate commercial relations between independent producers and broadcasting undertakings. The independent production sector, for the most part, is made up of small and medium-size undertakings; when left to fend for themselves, they have no leverage against large broadcasting groups and international online undertakings, which control access to broadcasting and enjoy annual revenues in the billions. It is imperative that the CRTC have the ability to rebalance and regulate such an uneven distribution of power.
Other aspects of Bill C-10 certainly raise questions and concerns within the community of Canadian cultural content creators and producers, but we have chosen to focus on the issues we feel are most significant, given what we are and who we represent.
That said, the APFC is a member of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which the committee will be hearing from later this afternoon. The APFC supports the principles and objectives endorsed by the coalition.
Thank you, and I would be happy to answer any questions you have.