Evidence of meeting #10 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was media.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
Not at the local level. Possibly at the national level. We obviously would like to see a much higher percentage of government advertising.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
But where local advertising is concerned, there are local businesses.
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
Yes, but you know as well as we do that, given the current state of the economy, it is not necessarily easy everywhere. There are some communities where things are better.
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
All right.
Are you familiar with CHOD in Cornwall?
Secretary General, Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada
Yes, I was the executive director of that station.
Conservative
Conservative
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
It had some serious problems, but thanks to advertising, it is starting to do much better.
It's the same thing with newspapers. We've got a couple of weekly newspapers in Cornwall, for example, Le Journal de Cornwall.... I don't know if you're familiar with it. It published 800 newspapers; they're now up to 25,000. Conversely, the Seaway News, which is a weekly newspaper, always sends out 37,000 English newspapers. They give them out for free. Now they have a French version.
The advertising is coming in, but I won't advertise there. I don't want to advertise in Le Journal de Cornwall. I advertised with my heart because there were only 800 subscribers, but when they have 25,000 it makes more sense.
If you want to make money, sometimes you have to spend money. What you said is so critical, and I wonder if sometimes you have to push the envelope a little. That's what enterprise is all about, because the competition in the media in the last five years has been fierce. A lot of the media have not survived in the last five years. We had an English radio station in Cornwall that failed because of the competition. I think it's survival of the fittest, and if anything, I would recommend that you be more aggressive and maybe make an investment in hiring that sales manager so you can get you more business.
Do you have any comments to make?
Executive Director, Association de la presse francophone
I agree with you. For a newspaper, the sinews of war is advertising sales.
However, our reality is different. For example, between 5,000 and 6,000 people speak French at home in Saskatchewan, whereas the total number of French mother tongue residents is between 16,000 and 17,000. If everyone read the French-language newspaper, it would still be difficult to convince the guy who owns a service station to buy advertising. Whether we like it or not, all these households are scattered across the province. In spite of that, I agree with you that the newspaper should make every possible effort to increase its local advertising.
Going back to what Lily was saying, advertising is information. It represents revenues and makes the newspaper more vital. But there are market realities in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island which make things very difficult.
Having said that, we are not asking for your pity. Our newspapers do their job and generate revenues, but there is another side to the coin: we are a pillar of community vitality.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Fine. Thank you.
I would like to thank our guests for their testimony. We will suspend the sitting for two minutes to allow our witnesses to leave the room.
Conservative
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
I would like the meeting to continue in camera, Mr. Chairman.
Conservative
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC
Could we continue our work in camera, Mr. Chairman?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
There is a motion on the floor that we go in camera.
Mr. Bélanger.
Liberal
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chairman, I am opposed to the motion to continue the committee's work in camera. This is an issue of concern to everyone and something that committee members have already discussed openly. There is a motion before the committee—which, as a matter of fact, I have not yet moved.
I see no reason why we should continue our meeting in camera. That really goes against—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Okay, I've heard your points, Mr. Bélanger, but I am going to have the floor now.
Motions to adjourn, motions to go public, and motions to go in camera are not debatable, so I will call the vote.
All those in favour of the motion moved by Monsieur Gourde to go in camera?
(Motion agreed to)
[Proceedings continue in camera]