Canadian Heritage Committee on April 11th, 2024

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

—and I'm disappointed that I haven't heard your intent to work with Bloodvein and get them cell service.

Let me move to the question on cellphone rates. Canadians pay some of the highest cellphone rates in the world. What will you do to cut down cellphone rates at a time when you and your fellow CEOs are making $62 million in profits?

[Mirko Bibic]

Madam Chair, very quickly on that, I'd encourage all members to review the transcripts of our appearance at INDU on March 18. We categorically laid out the facts showing that our pricing is very competitive. It has declined dramatically. The premise of the question no longer holds. It may have, perhaps, at some point in time many years ago. Our wireless pricing is lower than in the United States.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mr. Bibic, thank you.

I now go to the Conservatives and Kevin Waugh.

You have five minutes, please, Kevin.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Bibic, it takes decades to establish trust in Canadian newsrooms, something that CTV has taken pride in over the time that Bell Media has owned CTV—twice in the last 40 years. Local news has always been the staple for the CTV network. Anybody can buy American programming, and we'll get to that in a moment, but it takes investment into newsrooms to solidify the integrity of the entire network.

You have eliminated noon newscasts. You've eliminated late night newscasts. You've eliminated weekend newscasts, giving many outlets in Saskatchewan, in western Canada and, in fact, all over this country little say. You have destroyed what has taken decades to build as the CTV network. I know, because I was one of them for four decades. I worked three o'clock to midnight. I worked weekends. I worked holidays. I cherish those times. Why? Because I gave back to the community.

You have gutted local newsrooms in this country. Don't tell me you've added. We're down to one hour a day live in Saskatoon. Regina does everything. In Saskatoon, we have only one newscast now, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. We had six and a half hours of local news every day until you made your decision in the spring.

You and your organization have destroyed local news in this country. You should be ashamed. I'm telling you right now, as a 40-year employee of CTV, that I've watched you and your network absolutely destroy 216 First Avenue North. You've destroyed Vancouver. You've destroyed Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon, and I can go on.

What have you done in the boardroom to say that you've invested in news when I have the other facts that say you have pulled absolutely every available person in every newsroom in this country that belonged to Bell Media?

[Mirko Bibic]

Madam Chair, I do need a little bit of time to respond to some serious allegations here. There are serious issues that are being raised. I would like a bit of time. I won't take too long.

We are making sure that we deliver more stories to Canadian viewers. As far as it relates to the noon hour newscasts that were cancelled, the ratings have been down by 43%. Canadians have shifted to watch and engage with our news digitally.

I'll give you one very good example: the solar eclipse on Monday. It happened at about 3:28 or 3:26 eastern time. People weren't going to wait until noon the next day or 5:30 p.m. that day. However, the engagement with CP24 online and on YouTube was at a record high. Never before have Canadians engaged with us to such a degree: because we covered the story as it happened. That's how we're delivering more news.

We're investing in news. We're just doing it differently. The way that consumers are engaging—

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Oh, you're not investing in news. Come on. Give me a break. You're bringing numbers like you've lost $185 million for Bell Media—

[Mirko Bibic]

There's $300 million invested in news every year.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Let me say this, then. How much are you spending on American programs? You've just said in committee that you spend $1.7 million on content. What is that content? Is it American football? Is it the NFL?

I can go through American programming here. Do you want Bob Hearts, The Amazing Race, The Masked Singer, The Conners, The Voice, The Good Doctor or The Rookie?

You spend $1.7 million in content, you said. How much of that is American programming that you're putting on CTV stations in prime time from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m? Give me the number. You've said that you invest $1.7 million, Bell Media: What are you spending on American programming?

[Mirko Bibic]

Thank you. It's $1.7 billion that we invest—

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Of course—

[Mirko Bibic]

—and the investments that we make in U.S. programming or foreign programming generate significant advertising revenue that we can then use to fund programming: Canadian programming like Sullivan's Crossing, Sight Unseen, Children Ruin Everything, Acting Good, Little Bird, The Trades, Late Bloomer, Shoresey, Letterkenny—

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Bibic, that's not local news. How about investing in local news?

[Mirko Bibic]

—Amazing Race Canada, Highway Thru Hell, Timber Titans—

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Why am I down to one hour?

[Mirko Bibic]

—Roast Battle Canada, Slaycation, Thunder Bay—

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Why am I down to one hour? Can you invest in local news? Why do we have no news now in Saskatoon? I've got one hour.

Why was Vancouver cut back? Why was Calgary? Why was Edmonton?

You're investing, all right: You're investing in American programming. Take some of the $1.7 billion and put it in newsrooms in Canadian cities in this country. That's what people want.

CTV built up a loyal audience. You have destroyed it since you became CEO in January 2020. I am so happy that I left Bell Media and CTV when I did in 2015, because when you arrived on the scene, you've been a disgrace, and Bell Media has not been the same since then.

[Mirko Bibic]

I want to thank the honourable member for his significant contributions to CTV over the decades. It's acknowledged and appreciated.

We deliver news: 20,000 hours of local news to Canadians every year, and 25,000 hours of news on CP24, BNN and CTV News Channel.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

I have one hour now of local news a day. That's a total of five hours in Saskatoon of live coverage from six to seven all week.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[Mirko Bibic]

I encourage—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I'm sorry. We've gone well over time here. Thank you.

[Mirko Bibic]

Madam Chair, may I have one more quick one?

[An hon. member]

No—

[Mirko Bibic]

I'd just encourage all the honourable members to engage with the CTV News app, where there is news at all times of the day.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Mr. Bibic.

I think the question that Mr. Waugh was asking was clear. He talked about local news. Not everyone can go to streaming. A lot of people with low incomes cannot afford to go to streaming. They have to depend on the television. He asked a simple question, and I think you gave him the answer.

I'm going to the Liberals now, with Ms. Gainey.

You have five minutes, Anna.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses for being here today.

I think I heard earlier, Mr. Bibic, that the union was comfortable with, in agreement with or onside with your cuts, or the reorganization, as you've called it. Did I hear that correctly?