Canadian Heritage committee  Pardon me, Mr. Coderre, but is the purpose of your question to determine whether, in my view, our revenues are a significant factor in the context of general interest television?

Canadian Heritage committee  A general interest television network like ours is constantly under economic pressure. Our revenue figures will be available soon. Advertising revenues are down approximately 7% or 8%. Our revenue base is shrinking, and we're facing some difficult issues. Earlier you were talking to me about TQS.

Canadian Heritage committee  Mr. Coderre, I hope you don't really feel that way. I'm a francophone as well. I was also disappointed to lose La Soirée du hockey from Radio-Canada's airwaves. Like you, I was used to René Lecavalier and Richard Garneau. Those voices were part of my everyday life when I was a child.

Canadian Heritage committee  We receive, as everybody in this room is well aware, about $1 billion from government. We think that the best way to ensure that with Radio 2 we serve all Canadians who basically contribute to these services is to offer to our listeners more than simply one genre of music. That is the point of the changes we're trying to do to Radio 2.

Canadian Heritage committee  I respectfully disagree with that comment. We think that by taking this to another level, on the contrary, we will show Canadians, and we will meet our mandate requirements even better by changing the format of Radio 2. We are not abandoning classical music. It will still be on our airwaves on Radio 2, the most important music that you will hear.

Canadian Heritage committee  Richard.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, I understand that is your point of view. Do you have a question for me, sir?

Canadian Heritage committee  That is something that was part of the plan, and you might be referring to Hamilton.

Canadian Heritage committee  We understand we have an issue with radio coverage. That was my answer to Madame Fry. We have a plan we suggested here, referred to in the memorandum to expand radio service, because—you're absolutely right—there are some really important communities in Canada that don't get Radio One, that actually don't get our signals.

Canadian Heritage committee  No, there has been no indication of that. It is one of the recommendations without the funding link that comes out of the report that this committee worked so hard on.

Canadian Heritage committee  When we look at the Radio 2 decision and the services we have right now and the constraints and the dollar limits we are playing with, we think the best way is for us to expose the Canadian music that Richard was referring to in the same context as we did with what Sylvain spoke about a few seconds ago, which is Espace Musique.

Canadian Heritage committee  Absolutely. Again, Mr. Chairman, there was all sorts of stuff in a couple of minutes of questioning. Let me try to take them one after the other. Depth and analysis of your experience in Radio 2 in classical music--that's what we're trying to replicate in other genres of music.

Canadian Heritage committee  Let me say one thing before Richard and Sylvain, who want to add to my answer. Let's talk about money for one second. It's not simply a question of dollars, because the question of dollars has to be.... I go back to the MOU because that's really important, as Madam Fry said a few minutes ago.

Canadian Heritage committee  I know Richard wants to make a comment in regard to Radio 2.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. Ms. Mourani, we now have forms in which you have to explain with whom you ate and where you went. We intend to hide nothing. We want to be absolutely transparent. From now on, that information will be increasingly available on our website. It is at the moment, but it will be even more detailed and clearer so that people understand how we travel and what we do.