Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mrs. Émond, gentlemen, welcome to the committee.
I'd like to direct my initial comments to the Telesat officials. People may recall that when SIRIUS satellite radio arrived on the scene, the CRTC had not necessarily complied with Canadian content standards. You may also recall that as little as 5% of the audio tracks played by SIRIUS are francophone tracks, as compared to 22% in the case of conventional radio. Yet, the CRTC had actually agreed to these terms.
Is there not a danger that at some point, foreign ownership in the satellite sector will increase, affecting content and clientele as well? You say that existing regulations safeguard the space for Canadian companies. I have to wonder, because I spoke with someone who expressed some concern about Canada's sovereignty and even about its security should foreign ownership in the satellite sector increase.