Mr. Speaker, the government of Quebec has decided to intervene with the CRTC in support of community television. As we know, this has undergone unique development in Quebec.
In 1997 the CRTC decided to make the existence of community television a precarious one by no longer requiring the cable companies to fund it, thus forcing the majority of these stations to close down.
At that time, the Bloc Quebecois intervened to support community television against the diktat of the CRTC, which was thumbing its nose at Quebec's cultural specificity. We also intervened with the CRTC, requesting that it hold public hearings.
When these do take place, the Bloc Quebecois intends to continue to pressure the CRTC to ensure the continuation of community television so that regional voices will not be silenced.