Thank you, Madam Chair.
First of all, I would like to say to Mr. Bibic that I am pleased that he is here with us today.
I would also like to point out to the committee that we had issued a summons to Mr. Bibic to appear, because we believed he was refusing to provide us with information. We subsequently learned that this was not the case; rather, it was a question of incompatibility between the committee's schedule and that of Mr. Bibic. I think the summons was a little heavy-handed, and I want the committee to think about that in the future.
Mr. Bibic, thank you for being here today. I recognize your willingness to come and answer members' questions, despite the fact that I don't think these are pleasant topics to discuss. The cuts that Bell has made over the past year are very worrisome, particularly in terms of regional news. This is a subject that is of particular interest to me: in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, for example, Bell newsrooms and radio stations are no longer able to cover what is happening at city halls, city councils and local events, because television newscasts are now broadcast from Quebec City and Montreal, depending on the region.
How do you explain that you say you are investing massively in news production, and particularly in local news, when, in fact, when we look at what is happening in the regions of Quebec, people are complaining about a situation that is the polar opposite? People are bemoaning the fact that Bell has gutted or reorganized its newsrooms, which has caused a dearth of regional coverage.
What do you have to say to that, Mr. Bibic?