Canadian Heritage committee  We did. We invested significantly more. That's why we have 35% more news correspondents today than we did in 2023. That's why we launched Noovo Info to serve the francophone viewer in the province of Quebec and elsewhere. That's why we now have journalists in 10 provinces, all 10 provinces, whereas before we didn't, and we spent close to $300 million producing news—significantly more than the requirements.

Canadian Heritage committee  —so that we can deliver more news in front of the camera because the viewer matters the most.

Canadian Heritage committee  We invested $1.7 billion in content. Close to $300 million was in news, local and national news across the country. As I mentioned in my opening statement, we also invested over a billion dollars since I became CEO to improve our infrastructure and our platforms and to launch digital platforms like CTV News and CP24 online, and then the web and the apps, so that we can better serve viewers.

Canadian Heritage committee  We haven't negotiated that. It will be a very small number in the end for Bell, so we'll continue driving forward. We're making sure that as much investment as possible is in the production of news, driving efficiencies in our infrastructure so that we can invest in creating digital platforms so that there is news at all times of the day for our viewers.

Canadian Heritage committee  We are driving as many efficiencies as we possibly can in terms of common infrastructure, common equipment or having journalists file stories on all our CTV platforms rather than being dedicated to only one show. That's how we're going to ensure that we deliver news at every point in time as it breaks, as it happens, on whatever platform the consumer wants.

Canadian Heritage committee  That, I don't know.

Canadian Heritage committee  Because I know we gave the government notice, and I know that we guaranteed each employee 16 weeks of salary continuance, even in cases where they otherwise would not have been eligible for it.

Canadian Heritage committee  It is not required that the federal government get 16 weeks' advance notice if the federal government gets advance notice and each employee is otherwise guaranteed 16 weeks of salary continuance, even in cases where they otherwise would not be.

Canadian Heritage committee  I've provided the full answer to the process that we adopted, which is in full compliance with federal legislative requirements.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's not what I said. I said that, if an employer commits to providing 16 weeks' salary continuance, then the 16-week advance notice to the government.... You can follow a different path than the one that the honourable member has outlined, but we did give notice to the federal government.

Canadian Heritage committee  There were two things. Go ahead, Rob.

Canadian Heritage committee  We've provided the answer to that. There is a path that if you guarantee salary continuance for 16 weeks.... That is a path, even where the employees would not otherwise be entitled to 16 weeks. The second point is that, while we gave notice to the government on February 8, those job reductions didn't all take place on February 8, all at the same time.

Canadian Heritage committee  Chair, it is my pleasure to answer those questions. I keenly wanted to be before this committee on March 19, and I had committed to that. In fact, I had been in front of the industry committee on March 18. It was the committee who rescheduled my appearance. I'm here, and I always am eager to have a public policy discourse, as I mentioned earlier.

Canadian Heritage committee  What's undeniable is that the Canadian media ecosystem is in crisis. One only need ask Postmedia and SaltWire and print journalism in the country and our direct traditional media competitors—

Canadian Heritage committee  As I mentioned earlier, the—