What a question! I'll start at the beginning.
Three or four years ago, we opened a station in Sherbrooke. There was not one there previously. It's strange to note that even after being around for 60 years, we had no presence whatsoever either in Sherbrooke or Trois-Rivières. That was a rather serious anomaly, but we have corrected it. In fact, it was the same thing in the Abitibi region, where we now have regional programming. In Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Chicoutimi, we have acquired newsrooms that previously belonged to the private sector. We bought them so that news could be carried by Radio-Canada in these areas. That has been done; we have improved things in that regard. As I already said, it's important for people to feel included.
I was saying earlier that this is not an exact science. In radio, when a host is on the air, there can be very delicate situations. Even at times when a host is inclined to say that it's nice outside and that everyone is happy, he has to remember that Canada is a huge country. Indeed, it's quite possible that it's snowing in certain areas. So, we tell our hosts to be careful about what they say. For example, we advise them to say that the weather is nice in Montreal, but that they don't know what it's like elsewhere in Canada. I cite that example simply to show that including people even means being careful about what you say. You have to pay attention to every comma, every comment and at times, even the way you describe certain realities. For example, certain ministries in Quebec don't have the same name as in Alberta. In that respect, we try not to exclude anybody, even though that isn't always easy.
As for knowing whether we have the means to achieve what we've been discussing, I would say that, naturally, the answer is no. The expectations of cultural groups, particularly in the musical arena, and of the regions in relation to the public broadcasters are naturally, and quite legitimately, excessive. Everyone would like us to encourage every orchestra, musical group and musician in the country, and for us to support new artists and new literature in every region of the country--basically, they would like us to have a strong presence everywhere. So, I'd say people's expectations are unlimited.
Given our means, we are able to satisfy a great many needs. In my opinion, what we are accomplishing by way of public service is extremely important. Our role is to listen to what people need, to make decisions and to provide explanations. But we cannot be everything to everyone, given our resources.
Every time I go into the regions, whether it's in Acadia, Manitoba or elsewhere, I meet people to whom I say that it would indeed be preferable for there to be more local programming but that, like everybody else, we have certain constraints. As far as I'm concerned, people realize that no organization can claim to have unlimited means. If I were with Telefilm Canada, my answer would be the same: I would say that at the present time, we don't have the necessary resources.
But if we work hard to listen, make decisions and explain what we're about, Canadians will understand the role we are trying to play and the kind of balance we are aiming for. We manage that balance in the musical field. Whether it's classical music, jazz, song or contemporary music, everyone would like us to be there. Should we be primarily encouraging the large orchestras or the small ensembles? Should we be supporting regional festivals? Should our primary mission be to encourage the MSO or the Contemporary Music Festival in Victoriaville? Seeking the right balance is never easy. With the resources available to us, we manage to achieve a decent balance which is nevertheless imperfect. We have to continue to listen to people and make improvements.
