Canadian Heritage committee  We're going to have increasing problems in that regard. Even the Americans find that downloads... Even U.S. copyright is dealing with the lack of regulation on the Internet. Whether it's copyright or other rights, it's the same thing. This is an opportunity for all Canadians to download without paying a cost.

Canadian Heritage committee  I think it could even be broadened, that is to say refined even further in the details. Having regard to new technologies, there are ways of being even more representative. I think the new technologies can help target CBC/Radio-Canada's mandate even more. We were talking about regional productions.

Canadian Heritage committee  Good Lord! The issues are major right now. In fact, I think it's very much an economic issue. Everything is a matter of balance. What we are apprehensive about is that Radio-Canada's mandate has changed as a result of economic issues. I am more familiar with the Quebec situation.

Canadian Heritage committee  Pardon me, but I'm going to answer in French. I don't know how that works. I don't know the English situation well. I know that, on the Francophone side, a lot of programs —and I'm not talking about the old Radio-Canada; I'm talking about the present Radio-Canada—have had ratings of 1.2 million, 2 million, 3 million, 4 million viewers.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. We're talking about regional diversity and production methods. Obviously, in Quebec—I'm more familiar with the situation in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada—some production centres are obviously more significant. Montreal is a production centre. Even independent production is mainly done in Montreal.

Canadian Heritage committee  On the specialty channels, but especially on the available private sector television networks, there are increasing numbers of American television programs that have been translated and dubbed. I'm also talking about purchased American formats. The format is purchased and redone to suit audiences here.

Canadian Heritage committee  We've already submitted a document to you. I can read it in full, if you wish.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm going to address the main points of the document instead. The position of the Union des artistes is that of artists, but also that of Canadian citizens. In a world where convergence is increasingly a fact, the role of the public broadcaster is major, if not fundamental. The mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada is very broad: it must cover the regions, linguistic duality, indeed plurality.