I can repeat my—
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.
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.
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I can repeat my—
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
No, I don't want you to repeat it.
You have apologized. Why did you apologize in that way? Apologies were extended. Why did you do so?
10:05 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
In the letter that I wrote?
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I will quote from the letter. For the sake of accuracy, it is important to quote exactly what has been written.
May I have a minute, please?
10:10 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
You have admitted that you could have done a better job in reflecting the diversity of all of the participants.
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
One moment please. Here is a copy of the letter.
I'll just read it back, if you don't mind:
On behalf of CBC Television, I would like to express our concern and regret over the reaction to last Monday's broadcast of performances which took place during the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame Gala. The broadcast, in trying to represent in 44 minutes activities which took place over three hours, did not include performances from all inductees and specifically there were no Francophone artists included. The entire musical presentation of all participants was made available on CBC English Radio 2 on Sunday evening. It was our view that the broadcast, on CBC's English language network and directed at an anglophone audience, should focus on music and musicians most familiar to that audience.
That's what we've been talking about all morning. I know you disagree with that view, but that was our view; I'm just saying.
Upon reflection and based upon the negative reaction to the television broadcast, we acknowledge that we could have done a better job of reflecting the full diversity of the participants.
10:10 a.m.
NDP
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
So how could you do that then? If you disagree with us this morning, how could you do that? Can you explain what you will do in the future? You said you could have done a better job.
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
As I said, we're thinking about what to do under the circumstances. We have not made up our minds at this point. As I said earlier on, we've come down here to talk about it, to listen to you, to hear your concerns about it. Once we've had a chance to reflect on what everybody has said to us, then we'll figure out what to do.
Can I cite the last paragraph?
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I think it's really important:Certainly, there was no intent to offend any particular artists by excluding them, although we recognize how this perception could exist. For that, we offer our apologies.
This is why I come back to it over and over. I don't think any of the members of this committee or the management of the CBC disagree about our profound responsibility to actually do this.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Stursberg, thank you for appearing before the Senate committee this morning. This is an extremely important meeting. I represent a riding in northern New Brunswick, which includes a large number of anglophones and exogamous families made up of anglophones and francophones living under the same roof.
I would like to take two seconds to discuss your letter of apology. You read it in English. I hope that you also have a French version.
Truth be told, Mr. Stursberg, the anglophones are not terribly concerned about the fact that francophones may have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. It is the francophones who are extremely annoyed with you.
Therefore, I hope that the letter of apology was first written in French, as well as in English so that anglophones can understand that the CBC had made a very bad decision in shutting every francophone artist out of the gala.
Is that the case? Was the letter of apology also initially written in French for the francophone audience?
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Unfortunately, I don't have the French version with me, but there were two versions of the letter: one was written in French and the other one in English.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Would you please provide the committee members with copies of these letters?
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
I will be happy to do that. I will ask Shaun about them.
Do we have a copy of the French version with us here today?
10:10 a.m.
A voice
It will be tabled.
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Okay.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Steven Blaney
Thank you, Mr. Stursberg, I note that you will submit the French and English copies of the letter. You can submit them to our clerk. Thank you very much.
Mr. D'Amours.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
I trust you will give me a little more time, Mr. Chairman, to make up for the time that you used.
Mr. Stursberg did CBC film the gala?
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
No, it was an independent production.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
10:10 a.m.
Executive Vice-President, English Services, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Yes.
10:10 a.m.
Liberal
Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Can you explain to me, then why you didn't ask them to cut out the French parts from the beginning? You knew that you didn't want the French parts to be broadcast on CBC television.
Why didn't you simply save money, since you weren't interested in showing the francophones in your show? Did you simply do this to save face and to give people the impression that perhaps they might have the opportunity to show their talent to the anglophones and the rest of Canada? Did you simply film everything to save face?
At least the francophones being filmed would have known clearly that they had no chance of breaking into the anglophone world. That's what we see.
That is the reality of many families in my riding where one parent is francophone and the other is anglophone. If one member of the family watches a show in French, the other does too. Another time, they might both watch an English show. Is it not exaggerating a little bit to say that your audience could change the channel? Your audience is also made up of families where one person is francophone and the other is anglophone. Furthermore, in some cases, anglophones want to learn more about this.
How do you expect this country's cultural diversity to be reflected if you start from the premise that anglophones will change their channel? Anglophones might be interested in watching prize-winning artists. These aren't new artists who just happen to be there. We are talking about the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Don't you think that anglophones would be interested in this, just as francophones are interested in learning about anglophone artists? Don't you think that Canadians, be they anglophones or francophones, might be interested in learning and knowing about something else, even if the CBC and you might be less open?