Official Languages Committee on April 15th, 2008

[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?

[Richard Stursberg]

I believe I explained my reasoning a number of times. The best medium for music remains radio.

[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.

[Richard Stursberg]

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.

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

That's the third time you've said that.

[Richard Stursberg]

I understand, but we decided, given that there were 44 minutes available for television—

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

By the way, sir, it's not true that there are no anglophone singers on Radio-Canada.

[Richard Stursberg]

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.

[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.

[Richard Stursberg]

I would have had no problem with that. I respect the fact that they know the francophone audience better than I do.

[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.

[Richard Stursberg]

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.

[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.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

We'll continue with Mr. Yvon Godin.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Was the audience at the gala anglophone and francophone?

[Richard Stursberg]

In the theatre?

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

At the gala.

[Richard Stursberg]

I don't know, I did not attend the gala.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Well since you have a—

[Richard Stursberg]

I assume that there were francophones in attendance at the gala because francophones were also being honoured.

[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?

[Richard Stursberg]

I am not the one who wrote the hall of fame's policies.

[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?

[Richard Stursberg]

Yes, so?

[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?