Official Languages Committee on May 12th, 2009

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

No, for two reasons. First, the system currently doesn't exist. That's something they're considering offering later. Second, every person must have an antenna, a set-up box and installation, which costs roughly $500. All francophones who now watch analog television, that is 7,000 or 12,000 persons, would have to spend at least $500 for that installation. The freesat system doesn't exist for the moment, and I don't know whether it can be set up on time or the Olympic Games.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

If we started implementing that system right away, you don't think it would be possible to offer it for the 2010 games?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

I have to ask Bell. Perhaps it could be set up, but people will have to spend at least $500 to receive the freesat signal.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Does that $500 cost include the device, the box or were you talking about the...?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

The cost includes the box, the antenna and the installation.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

That includes three things, but otherwise it would be free; there would be no subscription fee.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

People wouldn't need to subscribe or anything like that. It's a one-time initial expense.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

We're going to ask Bell to provide us with figures. I though it would be much cheaper. Are you sure of your figures?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

These are the initial figures they gave us. The amount may be less, depending on the kind of set-up box and the place where it's bought. The situation is evolving.

[Michel Arpin]

We were given certain figures in the context of the transition-to-digital hearings that we've held in recent weeks. Bell TV's freesat project would be implemented for August 2011, at the time of the transition to digital. The Bell people consider this a development project. It's an option they're putting on the table in the context of discussions on the review of a set of policies. It's not a final decision for them. They mentioned a series of conditions to us, and, as a result of those conditions, it's a bit premature at the moment to talk about freesat in the context of a single two-week event. This nevertheless involves a $500 investment for two weeks, whereas the freesat project, which Bell TV is considering implementing for 2011, is for an indeterminate period of time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Ms. Glover.

We'll now start our second round with Mr. D'Amours.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you for being with us this morning, Mr. von Finckenstein, and thanks to your colleagues as well.

The point is not to determine whether the percentage is 99%, 98% or 100%, but to find a solution for people who don't have access to service. Perhaps not everyone has a television at home. That's possible. However, for those who do, the goal is to find a way to offer them this service.

You've presented us with some figures. However, there are what we call rabbit ears back home. They cost nothing, and they come with the television set. You only need to place them on the set. Ultimately, all these costs are probably an attempt to make money from poor people who can't afford to pay for services to watch the Olympic Games.

Mr. Chairman, you've distributed correspondence between CTV and Radio-Canada to us. Ultimately you wind up thinking this is about minor matters, that we're bogging down in details. And yet the date of the games is approaching. Will we have to wait until December 2009 for everybody to agree? Perhaps we could find a solution right now.

There are people back home who aren't cable subscribers. In their case, watching the Olympic Games is a problem. There are francophones in rural areas in New Brunswick. The problems may be of a financial nature, but couldn't we show a little good will for the benefit of the sports community and the public?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

I submitted this correspondence to you because I'm as frustrated as you are. I don't understand why it's impossible to negotiate a solution. We're talking about 12,000 individuals; so it's a small number. These are francophones who will never become customers of CTV. I don't see how sharing its signal with Radio-Canada is a problem for CTV. I know that Radio-Canada isn't prepared to retransmit the signal without adding its commentary. Whatever the case may be, it's definitely possible to find a solution.

For that reason, we've urged those people to appear before you. We made it absolutely clear that we wanted to find a solution. I even asked them to provide us with an explanation in writing. You have it before you. They are going to occupy this seat after me. Ask them the question. I frankly don't understand.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

As I said earlier, the risk is that we'll find a solution in December of this year. Everyone, panic stricken, will show good will, agree and act responsibly by giving the entire population access.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

There may be a half-solution. For the big event, that is for the opening ceremony, or the hockey, if Canada is playing for the gold medal, there could be a sharing with everyone. Perhaps we could find a partial solution. However, the negotiations are over, and no one wants to talk about it.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

The Olympic Games won't last two years. We're talking about providing access to the games' broadcast to the entire population for only a few weeks. I know that's not your responsibility, but it might have been pleasant to have the CTV people and to have everybody, side by side, find a solution and grounds for agreement here in the Standing Committee on Official Languages. Then we simply could have stopped talking about all this.

We're talking about it because people won't have access to the broadcast to the Olympic Games and that this is an important issue. At some point, perhaps your agency, the CRTC, should find a way to bring all those businesses together. There won't be other Olympic Games in Canada for many years. Today, this would be the ideal opportunity to show some good will. It seems to me something is lacking on each side.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

I share your opinion, but don't forget these companies both applied to be the broadcaster of the games and that they were therefore in competition. CTV won, and now there's a little hostility between them, but we can't do anything about that. We're going to come back at the charge. However, I've received the same answer from both, that negotiations are over and there's nothing to be done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Ms. Guay, go ahead please.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The Chinese managed to make it so that both official languages will be used, and that has proven to be a success. And yet French is not their language. On the other hand, Canada, whose two official languages are French and English, isn't even able to serve its population. The percentage of people who won't have access to the broadcast of the games is 2.5%, which is equal to the entire population of New Brunswick. That's very significant. I know you've exercised pressure on this subject, Mr. von Finckenstein, and I'm not blaming you personally. The committee is looking for solutions to ensure that the Olympic games won't be a failure and that everyone will have access to them.

For my part, I live near Montreal. My riding is in the Laurentians. However, a large portion of the population doesn't have access to high-speed Internet or to Videotron or TQS. People who aren't cable subscribers don't get TQS. Consequently, they won't be able to get the Olympic Games. It's a tough situation. If I didn't have access to Videotron's services at home, I wouldn't be able to see the Olympic Games live.

In an economic crisis, the first thing people get rid of is cable service, which is expensive. That's what we're currently seeing. That moreover is why Videotron and Bell are doing a lot to promote dish-style antenna.

I'm concerned about the idea that the percentage of the population that does not have access to the broadcast of the games may be much higher than 4%, 5% or 6%. We're not really looking very good internationally. That's very troubling. I'd like to hear your comments on that subject.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

Don't forget that CTV has made an effort. The TQS and RIS signals will be unscrambled. Even non-subscribers will be able to see those channels during the games. As you say, that's not enough, and it changes nothing for those who don't have access to cable or satellite distribution. That's the problem we've identified. You could put the question you've asked me to the consortium of CTV and partners, which will be appearing before you.

[Michel Arpin]

Ms. Guay, I would like to point out that the quarterly results of the public companies tell us that cable distribution is something of a recession-proof system. All the cable companies are experiencing growth right now. And the operators of those companies say that subscriber numbers increase significantly in every recession. People cut a lot of recreational expenses. What they have left is cocooning, and that includes their cable subscription.

Your fears that there will be a significant decline in the number of cable subscriptions, and thus in the number of people who have access to the Olympic Games broadcasts, seem contradicted by the results of the businesses consulted to date. You say that TQS isn't available in certain regions, but I would point out to you that neither TVA nor Télé-Québec are either.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

No, but Radio-Canada is.

I would like you to give me a little information, if you have any, on the reasons why the agreement between TQS, CTV and Radio-Canada, which could permit extensive broadcasting of the games, isn't working.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

From what I understand, CTV offered Radio-Canada its signal provided that the latter retransmitted it without making any changes. The Radio-Canada people refused, saying that that was unacceptable, that this was on their airwaves, but that they would be prepared to enter into a co-production. They proposed that a Radio-Canada announcer introduce the games, comment on them and conduct some interviews. The CTV people answered that they weren't interested.

It's a deadlock. As for the rest of it, you'll have to talk to those people.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

I understand.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much, Ms. Guay.