Official Languages Committee on May 12th, 2009

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

It starts in Vancouver but we don't know where it will go.

[Michel Arpin]

We know—

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

We don't know whether it will get to the other coast, to the Atlantic, to Fredericton. Francophones in Fredericton, New Brunswick, who watch TQS—

[Michel Arpin]

In Fredericton, Mr. Godin, there will necessarily be cable or satellite.

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

People who don't have an antenna won't receive them. If it's broadcast by Radio-Canada, they'll receive it.

[Michel Arpin]

That's correct.

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

We agree. Francophones in Fredericton, in an officially bilingual province, won't receive it. You agree with me?

[Michel Arpin]

I do.

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

That's good. Thank you.

My other question is for Mr. von Finckenstein. Mr. Chairman, if I understood correctly, you said that the CRTC considers that Radio-Canada has a public television mandate. Is that consistent with the act?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

Yes, it is.

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

What is the CRTC's power? Can you force Radio-Canada's hand? It's the only network that could serve the 7,000 or 12,000 households that don't have cable, unless I am mistaken. Does the CRTC have the power to force them?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

No, it's as I explained.

I asked Radio-Canada to appear before us and to explain the situation to us. It was clear that francophones receiving analog TV signals who don't have cable or satellite service won't be able to see the games if they are outside Quebec. I publicly told both that I found that situation unacceptable. However, I don't have the power to compel them. I only have the power to criticize them, to tell them I don't find that acceptable and that I would like to find an agreement.

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

In your opinion, who has the power to compel them? Would the Government of Canada have that power? You don't have that power. We'll definitely be talking to the Commissioner of Official Languages, who doesn't have the power to compel them. Who has that power? Dialogue is all well and good.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

Ultimately, it's the Parliament of Canada.

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

Pardon me one moment.

Everyone says it's not acceptable, that all Canadians should have access to the Olympic Games in both languages. I read your correspondence with CTV and Radio-Canada. You'd think we're going nowhere. Who do you think has the power to compel them?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

I can't give you an answer because I can only talk about my authorities. I don't have programming power. I don't tell them what to broadcast. I grant a licence, I set conditions that must be met, but the network's programming is the responsibility of CBC/Radio-Canada's managers.

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

A little earlier you talked about the programming of cultural events and the games. You'd think there were more obligations regarding culture than regarding the games themselves.

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

No. We say, for example, that we want 20 hours of public or local programs broadcast per week. We set conditions like that. It's up to them to determine what they do within the imposed limits. We've never imposed special conditions or coverage for that event. It's up to them to do that. After all, they all have a management and a management team. They have to do what they think is necessary within the conditions we have set.

[The Chair, Conservative, Steven Blaney]

Thank you, Mr. Godin.

We'll continue with Ms. Shelly Glover.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Good morning, and welcome to all our witnesses.

I'm going to make a few comments before asking questions. We've done a little research as well to see how many Canadians will be able to receive the Olympic Games. Even if Radio-Canada was the broadcaster, that percentage would only be 99%. So it would be impossible, even with Radio-Canada, to achieve 100% coverage. In addition, CTVglobemedia has already set an objective of 97%, and coverage will be available in our minority communities. So we're talking about 2%.

Are my figures accurate enough, Mr. von Finckenstein?

[Konrad W. von Finckenstein]

Your figures are correct.

[Michel Arpin]

They're correct. BBM confirms from its surveys that 99% of households have access to television. You have to think that some people don't have television receivers in their homes. Indeed, 97% is the percentage that CTV has been using for a few weeks now to inform people of the effort it has made to offer its signals. We haven't mentioned APTN here, but that network will also be broadcasting events related to the Olympic Games in French.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

You've talked about the point I was going to raise. APTN will also be broadcasting the games. So the percentage will be higher than 97%.

[Michel Arpin]

That makes it possible to add people to reach the 97% figure, particularly because APTN is very much represented in the north, which is not necessarily the case of the other services. That contributes to the supply of services that CTV has established.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Perfect. Thank you for your efforts to ensure the games are broadcast to the largest possible number of people.

Bell TV has just proposed to offer a satellite free of charge, what's called freesat, as my colleague just said. Could that enable the 2% of people who don't have access to the games to have access?