Evidence of meeting #26 for Official Languages in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was gala.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
If it's true that francophone singers are broadcast on English radio, why, now that they are known to the English audience, can't they be included in an anglophone television show?
10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I believe I explained my reasoning a number of times. The best medium for music remains radio.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
In that case, for the next hall of fame gala, don't invite francophones. Why would francophones participate if they're going to be cut from the show? It's even offensive to them. Stop inviting them, tell them they're not invited. Do a gala in English only.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
There's more than one gala show. It's no problem having francophones and anglophones at the gala. The full three and a half hours of the gala were broadcast on Radio 2.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I understand, but we decided, given that there were 44 minutes available for television—
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
By the way, sir, it's not true that there are no anglophone singers on Radio-Canada.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
No. I said that Radio-Canada had decided not to broadcast the gala on television. That's all I said. I respect the decision of my colleagues from Radio-Canada.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
Had they broadcast the gala and cut out all of the anglophones and kept only the francophones, I'm not sure people would have accepted that.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I would have had no problem with that. I respect the fact that they know the francophone audience better than I do.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
Sir, that's one of the reasons why there's a sovereignist movement in Quebec. Personally, I'm a sovereignist precisely because of behaviour like yours coming from anglophones. You aren't helping to bring the two cultures together.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I fully agree with the premise of your questions. Building a bridge between the two cultures is one of the CBC's main goals. I gave you a lot of examples of what we've done in the past and what we're doing now. All I'm saying is that we made some decisions about those 44 minutes. As for building a bridge, I fully agree on that.
10:05 a.m.
Bloc
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
You mentioned Mitsou earlier, who was a popular Quebec singer. For your information, it wasn't her voice that made her popular in Quebec.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Was the audience at the gala anglophone and francophone?
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
In the theatre?
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I don't know, I did not attend the gala.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I assume that there were francophones in attendance at the gala because francophones were also being honoured.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
That's what I am having a hard time understanding. Why invite an artist who is unknown to those who are attending a gala to recognize English-speaking artists? Are you not afraid that the audience will leave the theatre to have a smoke while the artist is singing?
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I am not the one who wrote the hall of fame's policies.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
We are talking about singers.
Do you not realize that many of Canada's CBC listeners are exogamous couples, where the husband is French-speaking and the wife is English-speaking, or vice versa?
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Yes, so?
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
For example, in northern Ontario, in White River, one of my brothers is married to an anglophone, and they listen to the CBC. If they happen to hear a song in French on the CBC, I doubt that they would find another station to listen to.
Concerns have been expressed about an English-speaking audience deciding to change the channel. Everything that you have boasted about doing directly contradicts what you are now saying: one three-minute song can cause the whole audience to tune out; however, you seem ready to use 45 minutes' worth of programming to promote the culture.
Are you not afraid that you might lose your audience once and for all?
