Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Lafrance, I was reassured to hear you say that you are aware of the reality that is closer to the people. Personally, I spent 30 years living in a small village in Quebec--South Durham. The times I was happiest were the ones where we heard about an accident in the region--in Acton Vale or the surrounding area, for example. It was on the road, near where we lived. It was as though the entire world had suddenly discovered our village. When that happened, we would hear people talking about South Durham.
That may seem puerile, but everybody wants to feel as though Radio-Canada belongs to them. They want not only to exist, but to exist and be seen by others. I understand that that cannot happen every day. In any case, it is perfectly normal for there to be nothing happening in a village. That's perfectly all right, considering that the news is generally bad news. I understand the challenge you're facing. At the same time, we must not forget the effect of the large and densely populated region of Montreal on the rest of Quebec.
What I'm saying is that we mustn't forget about people, but the fact remains that some people are forgotten. Indeed, nobody ever talks about what goes on in the ethnocultural communities, except to talk about street gangs. When school is mentioned, they talk about people dropping out, without ever mentioning individuals. That's probably too bad, but it's all part of the challenge.
Indeed, the situation of francophones outside Quebec is nothing new. We have to satisfy people such as the ones living in my village. At the same time, in terms of content, we have to be sure that people see themselves reflected in what is presented. That is also part of the challenge.
While attempting to ensure that the different regions get what they need, we also have to ensure that die-hard Radio-Canada listeners, such as myself, do not find themselves turning off the radio more often than previously because the program content doesn't interest them. So, we have to find a way of presenting this programming and getting people interested in it.
I wanted to draw your attention to these issues and ask you whether you believe you have the means to achieve what you've been talking about.