We worked closely with the Association des radiodiffuseurs communautaires du Québec in preparing our brief for the CRTC and during our meeting with the Deputy Minister of Heritage Canada. Our colleague from this association produced an interesting table — I don't have it here, but we can send it to you — which shows that community radio stations make up 20 per cent of francophone radio stations, but only 1 per cent of revenues. There is a major imbalance between major networks and independent stations. Advertising revenues are concentrated within the major networks.
During the 1990s, private-sector commercial radio stations were making noise, saying that they were about to disappear and that regulations needed to be relaxed. The CRTC did so. As a result, the press and radio stations in Canada are now concentrated. For all practical purposes, there are four major radio networks, and the concentration is continuing.
Community radio stations in Quebec are falling through the cracks somewhat, if I dare say so. We fill the space that commercial radio stations are ignoring. Someone asked if we are competing with commercial radio stations. The document presented, about the situation in Quebec, shows clearly that the vast majority of community radio stations are not competing with the commercial sector. As evidence, they are earning only 1 per cent of revenues, although they represent 20 per cent of all stations. Consequently, we need to find alternatives for community radio stations since they are unable to obtain funding based only on commercial advertising. Revenues are not sufficient. That is why the federal government's contribution to our revenue stream is important to us.
Furthermore, independent radio stations, particularly community radio stations broadcast local news. I invite you to try and get local news from the major radio networks. They play songs by the same 10 artists and repeat the same news from Montreal.