Evidence of meeting #3 for Official Languages in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was station.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Executive Director, Association de la presse francophone
There are currently about 1,000 publications in Canada sharing the $72 million under this program. If we were to remove $15 million, there will be another review and there will clearly be losers.
Liberal
Executive Director, Association de la presse francophone
No, we have focused on the program review since 2008, and we have devoted all of our efforts to explaining our view that there needs to be a specific program for official languages publications. Once we have finished that, we are going to argue in favour of a renewed commitment from the government.
Executive Director, Association de la presse francophone
If that were the case, 25% of the funds would disappear. If you look at a paper the size of La Liberté, for example, that would represent a shortfall of $30,000 or $35,000, if the cuts were imposed proportionally on all papers participating in the program.
Executive Director, Association de la presse francophone
Yes, because they are walking a tightrope. Of course some weeklies are in a better position than others, but many use all available money to operate. If an amount were to disappear suddenly, overnight, it could have disastrous consequences.
Conservative
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Good morning, and welcome to our committee.
This is very interesting. We are learning a lot.
I have several questions, but I'm going to start, first and foremost, with ARC du Canada. Earlier on, you talked about funding you received from the Government of Canada, compared with individual stations.
Are you asking the government to fund individual stations in addition to the amount that goes to the ARC? I would like an explanation, because it was not clear to me.
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
I am unsure if you are talking about the community radio program as part of the Official Languages Support Programs—
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
In that case, we are looking at a program worth $500,000 per year. Its purpose is to help stations start up, so that they can purchase equipment.
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
The funds are for capital assets. However, there is nothing to fund existing radio stations.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
What amount are you looking for for each individual station?
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
We are looking at $30,000.
Conservative
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
There are 140 community and campus radio stations in Canada. As regards ARC du Canada, 25 stations are on the air but we have 31 active members.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
You have 31 members, thank you.
The other question is more general. As is often the case in community circles, you said there are always the TLMs, as we say in Quebec, the “toujours les mêmes”, that is to say, always the same people volunteering in the community.
Whether it be as part of the APF or ARC, do you have trouble recruiting and retaining high-quality people? I imagine that it must be increasingly difficult in community circles.
Apart from funding, what could we help you do to recruit quality people and maintain these jobs? What kind of ideas could you give us?
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
Basically, as we told the CRTC, ARC du Canada radio stations are a training group for private and public broadcasters.
The problem is that we cannot compete with them when it comes to salaries. If we could offer our hosts $50,000 like they do in the private sector, it would be easier to keep them.
What's more, at a certain point, young people want to evolve and move on. Of course they take their classes in Hearst, in northern Ontario, for example, and then go to the national capital, followed by a trip to Montreal. That is the path they take.
Development and Communications Officer, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
I am a prime example. When I started as a host in the 1990s, it was at CINN-FM in Hearst, Ontario.
Two years later, an opportunity opened up at Radio Énergie in Abitibi. Of course I jumped at the opportunity, given the possibilities it opened up for me. I wasn't repudiating the radio station I had come from. The pay was better, the benefits were better, and so were the tools for the job. More often than not, private radio stations have better equipment, vehicles for the station, clothing is provided, and things of that nature. That's an advantage for young people who are in the private sector and something they do not have at community radio stations.
