Official Languages Committee on Nov. 27th, 2025

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Leclerc, you say that there’s a decline in listening to French-language music.

Isn’t it symptomatic of the decline of French in Quebec?

There’s a decline in the consumption of cultural goods, a decline in French as the language used at home. All linguistic indicators show a decline.

Don’t you think it’s related to that too?

[Jean-François Leclerc]

That’s a challenge. We can see it in television. It’s a whole environment that’s changing. However, one thing that doesn’t change is that traditional radio still remains a kind of common ground for culture today. It’s a place where tens of thousands of listeners still go every day to hear their music, news and stories.

What I want today is for us not to lose that essential link for francophone culture. However, my impression is that we are going to lose it if we don’t make bold decisions. Stations will close and we’ll lose this common ground that is still strong today. There’s still time to save it.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

I’m not sure it’s bold when there are other ways.

Let me explain. The more we hear French‑speaking music, the more we appreciate it and the more we develop a taste for it. However, if we lower the quota even further, we enter a bit of a vicious cycle. This percentage of 40% will be too high in a few years.

You talked about digital platforms. That’s major. The government has decided not to impose a tax on digital platforms. What could be done is to implement that tax and ensure that a portion of this $1.2 billion per year is used for private French‑language radio stations.

Do you agree with that?

[Jean-François Leclerc]

It’s a measure that would be interesting. However, that would not be enough. That’s the problem. I understand your logic very well: the more we expose people to music, the more likely it is that people will like it. You’re absolutely right. The problem today is that an increasing number of listeners no longer even listen to music on the radio.

Ask the young people around you what they think of radio. They’ll say that we’re completely out of touch. We’ve lost nearly 60% of our listening hours in 15 years. A music quota, even a very high one, protects nothing if no one is there to hear it.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

If they no longer listen to music, they won’t listen to English music any more on French‑language radio stations.

[Jean-François Leclerc]

In fact, they still listen to music, but they no longer listen to it on traditional radio. They’re turning to online platforms, where they’re no longer exposed to Quebec music.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

If we taxed online platforms, would it be possible to regulate them, in your opinion?

[Jean-François Leclerc]

If you want to tax the digital giants and online platforms, you can do so, but that won’t help us continue retaining our listeners.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

The revenues could, however, be used to promote French-language music and to implement incentive measures for private French‑language radio stations. I think it’s primarily a matter of money. If you tell me that you’re on the verge of dying, it’s because your income is not sufficient.

There was also talk of tax credits. Right now, there are tax credits for businesses that advertise on major digital platforms. We could simply say that we no longer provide tax credits for advertising on these platforms, but we do provide them for advertising on French‑language radio stations.

There could also be a government policy. You talked about advertising purchases. Several measures could be taken to support private French‑language radio stations.

[Jean-François Leclerc]

These are good points, but it’s not a viable long‑term solution.

The business model of traditional broadcasters is based on advertising revenue. I don’t see a promising and sustainable future where broadcasters depend on public subsidies to survive.

We need to find ways to ensure that the business model continues so we can keep reaching our goals and reaching listeners.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

We’re talking about redistributing grants. It’s not the same thing.

[Jean-François Leclerc]

Even if there’s a distribution of grants, I don’t see how it can help broadcasters survive. Yes, there are different things that can help, that’s for sure, but it won’t be enough. We need to explore other options as well.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

We’re told that the Quebec government has taken a whole series of measures and that it could surely do much more to promote francophone music. I think that there is indeed a way to do much more, because the real challenge is the future of French.

It’s a decision to be made. Do we want to ensure the future of French? Or do we go with the decline and quietly disappear? That is what we are currently heading toward. We must therefore find all sorts of ways to strengthen French. It’s not artificial. All governments do it. It’s largely a matter of regulation.

Do you have other ways in mind, besides lowering the quota, that could be used to help private French‑language radio?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 35 seconds left.

[Jean-François Leclerc]

We have listed a few means. There are the credits that we could talk about in more detail. Without easing certain criteria, there are things we can do to allow us to give more weight to an emerging song, for example, or to cultural content, which would serve as incentives for traditional broadcasters to put in more effort in terms of discoverability, even though we are already doing a lot.

I stand by the fact that we can find an environment that would allow us to be more competitive. We can’t have a regulatory burden that imposes a quota of 65% on us, while online platforms aren’t regulated and can broadcast whatever they want. We won’t be able to keep radio alive in that environment.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Could online platforms be regulated?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

I’m sorry, Mr. Beaulieu, but I have to interrupt you as your time is up.

We will now move on to the second round of questions. Since it’s 11:31, I will have to shorten the second round in proportion to the representation of each party. Mr. Dalton will have three minutes, Ms. Mingarelli, three minutes, Mr. Beaulieu, one and a half minutes, Mr. Bélanger, three minutes, and Ms. Chenette, three minutes.

Mr. Dalton, you have the floor for three minutes.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Leclerc, you are clearly fighting a great battle for the vitality and survival of radio stations in Quebec.

I think there’s inflexibility, even rigidity at the CRTC. It’s not just in French. Even in English, it’s very strict when it comes to Canadian content. Céline Dion, Justin Bieber, Drake, and Bryan Adams were not included in Canadian content. Inflexibility is one thing.

The question is if the CRTC really wants a commercial radio station in the province.

What do you think?

[Jean-François Leclerc]

I believe we’re an important pillar of the system, just like community broadcasters and CBC/Radio‑Canada. I think the CRTC wants healthy radio. However, it faces challenges from all sides and is having difficulty knowing how to act with respect to this situation.

I don’t think it doesn’t want strong and healthy commercial radio stations. I believe it doesn’t know how to handle everything we’re going through right now.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

That’s true, especially since the emergence of the Internet. For decades, listeners have been able to go wherever they want and listen to the songs they want to hear. We can’t force them to listen to something else. There’s real tension.

Besides imposing a quota on French‑language radio stations, how can the government make French vocal music more popular and discoverable to young Quebeckers who do not listen to it?

[Jean-François Leclerc]

That’s—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

You have 55 seconds.

[Jean-François Leclerc]

That’s a good question.

In the environment we live in, the lever of discoverability is foreign platforms. They’re the ones who control it. It’s no longer the radio quota from 50 years ago.

If we really want to help promote the discoverability of local artists, there are measures to be taken in relation to Spotify, Apple Music and all the other major platforms. We could impose content and discoverability obligations on them. On Spotify, for example, instead of only having hits or songs in English, why not have French songs included in their playlists?

There’s no reason it can’t be done today, in my opinion.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yvan Baker]

Thank you, Mr. Dalton.

I now give the floor to Ms. Mingarelli for three minutes.