Official Languages Committee on May 12th, 2009

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

I'd simply like to make a comment, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Arpin, with regard to Videotron and Bell, the figures on the recession haven't yet come out. When they do come out, sir, we can discuss them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Ms. Guay.

We'll now go to Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

First I would like to welcome the members of the CRTC. I would also like to tell my committee colleagues that it has been my pleasure to know the chairman for about three decades. I hope you won't hold that personal relationship against me.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

That must make you feel younger, Mr. Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

That makes us both feel younger.

Moreover, I must pay tribute to Mr. von Finckenstein for the extraordinary progress he has achieved in learning not only the language of Molière, but also our own, which is that of Rabelais.

With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would like to go back briefly to a comment by Mr. von Finckenstein that caught my ear. It concerned that compass that is the Official Languages Act and the respect the CRTC claims to have for it.

Last year, I followed the community radio hearings that were held in the National Capital Region. However, the decision rendered by the CRTC disappointed me. I expressed my disappointment publicly, following which the government felt obliged to make an unprecedented decision, to order the CRTC to go back to the drawing board. Other hearings on the same subject have recently been held.

With regard to the matter before us today, which is frustrating us enormously and, according to you, is frustrating you as well, everyone should try a little harder. A few years ago, in the context of another matter involving the broadcasters, officials from CBC/Radio-Canada and the Réseau des sports appeared before the Official Languages Committee. I think it was about broadcasting the hockey games. The representatives of those two networks made statements before the committee—and one assumes they were under oath—that we're not consistent with each other. The committee then compelled the two parties to agree, and the dispute was ultimately resolved.

In your opinion, how should the concept of equitable access, of equal quality, to broadcasting of the games be defined?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

I agree with you and your colleagues. I have said it publicly. It's unacceptable that people cannot listen to the games in the language of their choice. After all, they're taking place in Canada and will be celebrated as a great Canadian event. I am absolutely unable to understand what the business objections are to this. We're talking about a maximum of 12,000 people.

These are francophones outside of Quebec. They're never going to become CTV customers, so what's the problem with letting CBC share the signal? Tell us what the issue is with saying, “CBC, don't just give us your waves. You may actually use the CBC logo and CBC commentary. After all, it's your network.” But find a logical solution. I don't see how it will harm either TQS or RDS in any way, because nobody subscribes to them unless they speak their language. If they do subscribe to them, they don't need it, so we're talking about people who don't have access to this. Why is there no solution? These are two competitors.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

But they're not competitors in this.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

They will be bidding for the next one, etc. They see themselves as competitors, and they don't want to make a deal with a competitor. That's the best I can tell you.

I think there's plenty of room for some workable compromise. I've said so publicly, and I've shared my letters with you, so you know exactly how the situation stands.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Mr. Galipeau, go ahead please.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I have a brief question, Mr. Chairman. I wonder whether Mr. von Finckenstein could take certain regulatory measures to ensure that all Canadians have access to a full broadcast of the games in both official languages.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

Unfortunately, as I told you, I don't think we have the authority to do it. It's as simple as that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you very much.

We'll conclude with Mr. Godin.

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

Mr. Chairman, in your opinion, does CTV have a linguistic responsibility, an obligation with respect to official bilingualism legislation in the Olympic Games? I'm not talking about day-to-day life because CTV is an English-language channel; that's clear. Under CRTC regulations, do the CTV people have a responsibility?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

In our view, and I believe it's generally accepted—the airwaves are public property; they don't belong to the broadcasters. We grant them a licence to use the airwaves, and with that come obligations. As we live in a bilingual country—

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

I'm going to come back to that. They have responsibilities, and they have obligations; you're clear on that. Radio-Canada has them, CTV has them, CRTC grants licences, and those groups have obligations to citizens. Furthermore, the government is there to ensure—

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

I'm going to interrupt you.

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

Pardon me, the government has responsibilities. You wrote a report that you sent to the government. What was its response? Did you get any feedback?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

We received no official or unofficial response to our report.

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

They didn't trouble themselves to do that.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

You're talking about obligations, but I believe it would be more correct to talk about expectations. We're talking about public property, and when we grant a licence, we hope it will be used in accordance with the objectives of the Broadcasting Act. For CTV—

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

We can go fishing all day and hope to catch fish, but without catching any. Obviously, you have it or you don't.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

They don't have any obligations.

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

Someone somewhere has to force matters.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

They aren't a French-language broadcaster. CTV doesn't have an obligation to broadcast in French.

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

So the government has a responsibility. It hasn't even officially answered your report. The government also has obligations; it was elected.