Canadian Heritage committee  You're asking me whether we recognize that Quebeckers are different and that they speak French. I'll answer that Radio-Canada broadcasts in French.

Canadian Heritage committee  Mr. Bélanger, I can assure you that one of the first things I'm going to do will be to meet with CBC/Radio-Canada people in other cities than Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, which are the three cities I have had the time to visit in the past three or four weeks. I definitely can't form an idea of the challenges facing CBC/Radio-Canada unless I understand the geographic coverage and points raised by the regions.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  Once again, I'm speaking to you from the outside since, as you know, I won't be in my position until January 2. In light of the information I've received to date, CBC/Radio-Canada's funding comes from various sectors. Advertising revenue is one of the major sources of funding. We must continue to secure these sources of revenue, including advertising revenue, to try to increase them by entering into all possible kinds of alliances and by maximizing all efforts necessary for those additional revenues to enable us to engage in strategic planning for more than 12 months.

Canadian Heritage committee  You're absolutely right. I'm convinced that balancing advertising revenues, ratings and CBC/Radio-Canada's statutory mandate is a constant challenge. I can tell you, Mr. Bélanger, that it will be very important for me to understand on my first day—

Canadian Heritage committee  I absolutely agree with you. It will be a pleasure.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's a major public policy question which you, as parliamentarians, will have to consider. I think that only makes a strong and independent public broadcaster, all across Canada, even more relevant. In this kind of environment, given all the market pressures, certain issues go far beyond the role or vision that I can have.

Canadian Heritage committee  I understand this is a different environment in terms of culture, and I want to come back to culture, if I can. This was an issue that was raised a few seconds ago. Yes, I have a sports background, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the opera. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy arts, that I don't read, or that I don't do more.

Canadian Heritage committee  The answer is not yet, sir. The details of those issues I am not aware of. As you have, I have read the presentations that CBC has made here so far. I understand there is an important cost, an important expense, relating to those changes. I know it's an issue. I look forward to sitting down with our team and being briefed on that.

Canadian Heritage committee  The people I've met so far are very aware that regionalization is an important issue for all at this point in time. I'm sure that's why they came to this committee saying they would like to expand and cover some parts of Ontario and other parts of the country that are not covered, and this is why they have requested extra funds.

Canadian Heritage committee  You want the name of the person? I will tell you I don't remember the name of the lady--Joanne something. She will forever be upset with me because I forgot her name.

Canadian Heritage committee  Robert Swidler was the principal who ran the....

Canadian Heritage committee  No.

Canadian Heritage committee  The management side and the techniques and the way I manage people, companies, P and Ls --profit and loss statements--whatever else, they are mine in terms of having been acquired; these skills have been acquired over 30 years. I am sure the last thing this committee wants to hear is that our public broadcaster is not well managed.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm starting now and trying to meet as many people as I can, sitting down with people from all over the organization. I'm obviously going to be travelling the country, because the reality is, it's not going to be Montreal-centric; it's going to be across the country. So I need to understand what our employees right now are thinking.