Madam Chair and committee members, thank you for inviting me to participate in this consultation.
My name is Martin Simard. I'm the executive vice‑president of Groupe Radio Simard. I'm joined today by Michel Lorrain, our broadcasting consultant. It's a privilege to speak to you about the challenges facing French‑language commercial radio stations and to contribute to your work.
Groupe Radio Simard is a family‑owned company that operates eight radio stations in Quebec, specifically in Rimouski, Baie‑Comeau, Rivière‑du‑Loup, La Pocatière, Montmagny and Saint‑Georges, Beauce. It also runs news sites featuring local and regional news. Our company was founded in 1947 by my grandfather, Luc Simard. Next year, we'll be celebrating 80 years of activities geared towards providing information, entertainment, a snapshot of our communities and a showcase of local culture.
Our contribution directly affects vitality [Technical difficulty—Editor]. Regional journalism isn't just a local variation of national news. It's the beating heart of our communities. It tells the story of our lives here at home. [Technical difficulty—Editor] to entrepreneurs, organizations and families. It creates a local connection that no other media can truly replace.
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For a number of years, the media industry has been undergoing a massive shift. Fragmented audiences, the rise of global digital platforms and the migration of advertising revenue have upset the economic balance that supported journalism in the past. [Technical difficulty—Editor] smaller markets and more limited resources.
Yet the need for reliable and thorough local information has never been [Technical difficulty—Editor]. [Technical difficulty—Editor] rumours, misinformation and unverified content, regional media outlets play a key role. They maintain a public space [Technical difficulty—Editor]. [Technical difficulty—Editor] misinformation and a pillar of local democracy.