Thank you.
We see the local media's potential as vectors for change and openness. The government needs local media, because they play a pivotal role. They give the government access to our fellow Canadians' living rooms and kitchens.
Good afternoon, my name is Martin Théberge and I am the president of the FCCF, the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française. As the chair already mentioned, I am accompanied by Maggy Razamfimbahiny, the director general of our organization, and Marie-Christine Morin, its assistant director. On behalf of our network, thank you for inviting us to appear before you today. We hope to be able to give you the tools to defend our local media. We congratulate you for having taken the initiative to address this issue, which is of fundamental importance to us.
The FCCF is the voice of the Canadian francophonie for the arts, culture and cultural industries. Its vision consists in inspiring, mobilizing and transforming Canada through the arts and culture. The FCCF, founded in 1977, is a national organization dedicated to promoting the artistic and cultural expression of the Acadian and francophone communities. Its network has 22 member organizations, seven of which are national groups at the service of artistic disciplines and cultural industries, and 13 are organizations dedicated to developing the arts and culture in 11 of Canada's provinces and territories. The FCCF also includes a group of networks that broadcast the performing arts, and an alliance of community radio stations.
The issue we are discussing today is a window into seeing the different essential pieces of the official languages puzzle come together. All of them can influence the francophone and Acadian communities' chances of success for their development and their vitality. The Official Languages Act is to be modernized, and the Action Plan for Official Languages is on the verge of being released, not to mention the “Creative Canada – A Vision for Canada's Creative Industries” roadmap that puts us on a path to innovation.
We all have reasons to hope that these particular circumstances will have a real impact on the official languages issue. In his budget, Minister Morneau announced new investments of $400 million to implement the next Action Plan for Official Languages. Considering the work ahead of us, this promise was timely. We must get back on track as soon as possible, and give our media the tools to optimize their contribution to our fellow francophone and Acadian citizens' wellness across the country.
Official language minority communities are above all cultural constructs, and local media are indispensable to their success. The government must encourage the application of positive measures and a global framework aimed at fuelling collaboration between all stakeholders at all levels. Local media are rooted in our communities. They understand us, and listen to us because they evolve with us, in our communities. They are strategic partners to our organizations, because they help us to build relations with our communities through information, involvement and participation. They are catalysts for our actions and our activities. The statistics bear this out: The penetration rates of community media into the communities' households vary between 54% and 83%, depending on the area.
We believe that minority communities truly need wide-reaching media. Having access to locally produced and broadcast radio content builds pride in our identity and pushes us to express it, share it, and make it flourish around us. We also believe that community media influence social cohesion and the welcoming of new members to our community.
The FCCF believes that we must create opportunities, first, by inviting all stakeholders to participate in a global conversation how the country's media are evolving; and, second, by encouraging and believing in the potential of our communities' local media to create jobs and offer experience-based learning. Out of respect for their expertise and unique abilities, we must also invite local media to participate in the development of a global strategy to promote the francophone and Acadian communities. This strategy would be jointly designed by the government and the communities, as key strategic partners. Furthermore, users would be central to the process and to the strategies developed from it. We also need to increase the government's awareness of minority language communities; local media play a key role on this front.
The FCCF is proud to include the Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada, the ARC du Canada, in its membership. The ARC is the nationwide manager of broadcasting in French-minority communities, and we echo their beliefs.
Here, I am quoting from its brief on minority community media, jointly presented with the Association de la presse francophone, the APF, and the Association des journaux régionaux du Québec, AJRQ, during the cross-Canada official languages consultations led by the Department of Canadian Heritage in 2016.
...minority community media make a direct contribution to the vitality index of their communities. They cover topics that the major media do not and they have a direct link to the daily life of the communities. They can cover broader topics, but they always do so by establishing links with the issues in their local and regional communities.
Beyond their mission to inform and entertain, local media recognize their duty to support the development of the communities. We might think, for example, about the technical and professional training that they provide to their staff. The value and the contribution of local media as a venue for professional and technical learning must be better recognized. It is an example of convergence that should be further explored.
Beyond the social health, the dynamic activity of local media is vital for arts and culture, in whose name we speak. No other participant in Canada's communications ecosystem is in a position to provide us with as much value. Our local media act as a catalyst for our distribution efforts. They also have a direct impact on the development of our emerging artistic careers, which would not otherwise be seen as having value by the mass media.