Official Languages Committee on Nov. 25th, 2025

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I thank the witnesses.

Mr. Béland, Mr. Brousseau tells us that, in New Brunswick, there is growth in the audience of French‑language community radio stations. The greater Sudbury area has a fairly significant francophone population as well. Can you tell us what’s happening in our part of the country? Is there growth or decline?

[Louis Béland]

Yes, thank you.

Radio stations in New Brunswick, Acadia and the east are doing very well. I attribute this success to the music being played, namely to the programming, and to the connection with the communities. It’s a very strong community that stands together. It’s magical.

Elsewhere in the country, we see the same thing happening to varying degrees. We have two stations in northern Ontario, in Hearst and Kapuskasing, which are predominantly French‑speaking communities, and they’re very popular radio stations. We also have a radio station in Penetanguishene, which is a bit more challenging and works very hard to reach francophones in the area. I must admit that they all do very good work, but there are only so many hours in a day and people do what they can. We need more tools and resources to reach these communities.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you.

You mentioned that you would say yes to modernizing the rules, but without losing any French-language content. What specific changes would you recommend to the regulatory framework of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, to better support community radio in minority francophone regions?

[Pier-Luc Brousseau]

Our stations are already reaching the quota of 65% French‑language content, and several of them have even decided to reach 100% French‑language content, to provide even more community content and play things that would not be broadcast otherwise.

However, more specifically, as we mentioned at the start, this is about broadening the definition of oral content to give us greater flexibility, particularly with respect to the sharing of broadcasts. It would help us because, when it comes to musical content, we’re already exceeding the CRTC’s requirements. Some of our stations offer 100% French‑language content between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, and there are others whose programming goes even further.

For me, it’s not just a matter of music, it’s also about spoken language. If we could make these adjustments to the framework while maintaining the French presence in music, we would already be doing well. Furthermore, as you know, community radio shows are hosted by volunteers. This would also allow us to give them a bit more flexibility in terms of what they play during the hours they’re on air.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you. I give the rest of my speaking time to Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

How much time is left, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

There is a minute and a half left.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you.

Mr. Brousseau, from what you say, community radio stations are not concerned about the quota for French‑language content. There is no connection to your activities.

Earlier, you mentioned that you have created a new generation of talent. You mentioned a group that appeared on the show Tout le monde en parle over the weekend, but I forgot their name.

[Pier-Luc Brousseau]

It was the Salebarbes band.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

What I want to demonstrate is that you do your job in the field with rubber bands and tape, but not much money. As you promote artists and emerging talent and make all the efforts in your region, who benefits? Public television stations do, as they receive astronomical amounts to broadcast and, on top of that, they have advertising revenue. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? If we are supposedly interested in having French thrive everywhere in Canada, shouldn’t you be supported instead?

Earlier, you mentioned that there seemed to be a willingness in the House of Commons, and that official languages regulations were moving in that direction. That said, the regulations have not yet been tabled in the House. I don’t know where you got that information, but you may have information that I don’t. You may have special connections with people here around the table.

Do you think it’s normal to be subsidized for one-time, non‑recurring projects while the beast—I’ll call it that—the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, has abundant subsidies and access to the advertising market, and is competing with you? Would it be preferable for you to receive better financial assistance on a sustainable basis?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Godin, I am sorry. Your time is up. I gave you a few extra seconds, but we will have to wait for the answer to your question during another speaking turn, unfortunately.

Mr. Deschênes‑Thériault, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I was looking forward to hearing the witnesses scheduled for today, particularly since my riding, Madawaska—Restigouche, is home to three of the ten members of the Association des radios communautaires acadiennes du Nouveau‑Brunswick, or ARCANB, in addition to a private French‑language station.

Mr. Brousseau, according to your brief, the mandate of ARCANB is to “strengthen [the capacity of its members] to effectively contribute to the development and vitality of the Acadian and francophone community of New Brunswick”.

Your remarks are clear. You are opposed to a reduction in French‑language music quotas, and I completely agree with you. I would like to know more about the importance of having such quotas to fulfill your mission. How do these quotas support the key role of community radio in promoting the vitality of our francophone and Acadian communities?

[Pier-Luc Brousseau]

It’s essential. We talked about it earlier; it’s what sets us apart. As we know, certain areas of the province are predominantly English‑speaking. That’s why we talk about minority radio stations. Such a station is the only place where French can be heard. We don’t play francophone music out of obligation, we do it out of passion. We also do it because it’s part of the development of francophone culture.

As I said earlier, if we want to hear from younger people on the air, if we want to hear something different, we don’t have as many restrictions as public broadcasters. Our mission is to truly create this in our broadcasting territories and to support the francophone fact. In my opinion, we really need to develop this francophone culture, this new generation of francophones. As Mr. Godin mentioned, we also need to involve the Salebarbes and create these large groups in Acadia.

Another perfect example of this, which resonates with another generation, is Cayouche, who travelled across the country and around the world. In my family, there are people from northern Quebec who used to go see Cayouche. Until the artist’s death last year, it was a full house to see Cayouche. At home, we saw Cayouche every two weeks. A big part of that is in the community network.

What’s nice, too, is that our three community radio stations can be picked up from one end of your riding to the other. This local fact cannot be ignored.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Indeed, while going from one end of my riding to the other, I often listen to your stations.

For the record, I also had the pleasure of doing community radio as a commentator at one of your member stations. Several years ago, during the summer, I also worked in the community radio sector in Edmonton, Alberta. Radio Cité was in its final stages before its creation.

At the time, I understood that one of the major challenges was to ensure that the francophone population of Edmonton had access to programming that was truly representative of their cultural identity. We know that artists are a fundamental pillar of our cultural identity.

Mr. Béland, Mr. Brousseau spoke about the importance of community radio in Acadia. Can you talk to us, in terms of the Canadian francophonie, about the role that community radio plays in promoting our local artists, especially emerging francophone artists?

[Louis Béland]

Yes, absolutely. Thank you.

I really like the example of Radio Cité in Edmonton, which also broadcasts a bit in other languages to reflect its community. It’s so critical. I believe the station broadcasts in Punjabi a few hours a week and in one or two other languages. That’s the flexibility our radios need.

I also want to refer to the previous question. The relief we seek is also related to relationships. The different categories of music are very specific. We need to go get that. We need to have the necessary flexibility to broadcast what’s important for the communities.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you.

Earlier, you said that the federal government could, without additional budgets, better support our local media by purchasing advertising that would be broadcast on the radio. Can you provide more details on that?

[Louis Béland]

Basically, a simple procurement directive could work. For example, if 30% of federal advertising purchases were reserved for community media—I’m talking about radio, but also written media, among others—it would represent revenue of $50,000 to $60,000 per media outlet.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Do you also share this opinion, Mr. Brousseau?

[Pier-Luc Brousseau]

Yes, absolutely.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

This concludes the part of the meeting dedicated to the first group of witnesses, whom I would like to thank on behalf of the committee.

Mr. Brousseau, Mr. Béland, and Mr. Monette, thank you for being with us. We have learned a lot. I even learned that there is a lot of talent among the members of the committee.

I will suspend the meeting for a few minutes to give the next group of witnesses time to settle in.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

We are resuming the meeting.

I welcome you again to meeting number 12 of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. We are continuing our study on the quota for French-language music; I know we have changed the name, but I am reading my notes and I ask for your forgiveness.

I would now like to welcome Sylvain Chamberland, president and chief executive officer of Arsenal Media.

Mr. Chamberland, you have five minutes to make your opening statement. We will then move on to a question and answer period with the committee members.

I yield the floor to you.

[Sylvain Chamberland, Presiden and Chief Executive Officer, Arsenal Media]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Chair, members of the committee, I would like to thank you for inviting me to participate in this study. Please know that it is a privilege for us to contribute to your various efforts related to the protection and vitality of our francophone communities.

Arsenal Media is the largest broadcaster in Quebec. It is an independent broadcaster currently operating 25 French-language commercial radio stations in Quebec, and soon 30, when the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, gives its approval to various pending transactions.

Our stations play an essential role: informing, entertaining and reflecting our communities, and promoting our local culture. Our contribution has a direct impact on the vitality of Quebec’s predominantly French-speaking regions.

I will first talk about the context in which we operate.

Digital audio has profoundly transformed our industry. Foreign platforms dominate listening, capturing the majority of advertising revenue—nearly $10 billion annually—and are not subject to any of the obligations imposed on Canadian broadcasters.

Meanwhile, commercial radio revenues are declining year after year and are expected to fall below one billion dollars by 2030, representing a 50% decrease over the last 10 years.

We are facing unfair competition in a regulatory framework designed for another century. It’s in this context that our proposals were recently submitted to the CRTC, with the aim of modernizing this framework and restoring a certain equity to allow French‑language radio to remain a cultural and informational pillar.

The 65% quota for French vocal music is no longer aligned with listening realities at all. On digital platforms, Quebec artists singing in French represent only 5% of total consumption, and I would say that last week, that proportion was 4%.

Listening to music radio is decreasing every year because the product we offer no longer meets the expectations of our listeners. I would add that commercial radio should not bear the entire burden of protecting French culture and language. A quota of 40%, which would still be among the highest in the world, would allow us to better meet the public’s expectations while continuing to promote French‑language music. Arsenal Media has therefore proposed a 36‑month trial period for this quota to the CRTC in order to measure its results.

Are there other solutions? In my opinion, a viable option could help address the challenges currently threatening the Canadian media ecosystem. That option, although underutilized, is that CBC/Radio-Canada must be part of the solution. The public broadcaster benefits from a network of 88 stations, 700 transmitters and a budget of $2 billion, of which $1.5 billion comes from public funds. Its mandate is clear: to reflect the diversity of Canada, support francophone culture and take into account the needs of indigenous peoples.

In a landscape where discoverability is dominated by foreign platforms, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only national player capable of providing a real counterbalance. This situation calls for special involvement. We therefore believe that CBC/Radio-Canada should be given explicit obligations to ensure the discoverability and dissemination of indigenous and French-language content on its platforms, both traditional and digital. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada markets publicly funded content online, thereby competing directly with commercial radio stations, which must survive in an extremely fragile advertising market. This issue of competition really deserves to be examined.

In our opinion, the other key player is community radio stations, which provide an important space for local expression in the unique francophone media landscape. It should be noted that these stations operate under a completely different model, which relies heavily on public funding and on their own support programs. They therefore operate in a protected environment, unlike commercial radio stations, which rely almost exclusively on the advertising market and face the dominance of digital giants on their own.

It is therefore crucial to recognize this distinction as we reflect on the overall sustainability of the system and the fairness among its various stakeholders.

Finally, three are three other essential measures—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Mr. Chamberland, your time is up. Could you wrap it up quickly?

[Sylvain Chamberland]

Yes, okay. I have almost finished my remarks.

First, foreign audio platforms must be required to make Canadian content discoverable and promote it, and the results must be measurable.

Next, it is essential that the Income Tax Act be modernized by eliminating the tax advantage associated with advertising purchased on foreign platforms. This measure has been in place for a very long time and is no longer relevant.

Finally, radio stations must be included in the Canadian journalism labour tax credit, recognizing that they often remain the only source of daily local information in the regions.

In conclusion, you will agree with us that we are at a decisive moment.