Canadian Heritage committee  I would say yes to that. But if the funding formulas the commission is talking about, the local programming improvement fund, were to come about, that may be able to rectify the situation in the small markets.

Canadian Heritage committee  But there's a distinct difference between what's going on in small market conventional television in Canada and what's going on with the large players that have small market stations.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'll be quick and let others jump in here. It certainly will go a long way to allow us to continue to provide.... Collectively, our three stations do about 47.5 hours a week of local programming, as you heard in my presentation. And that, combined with the DTH small market local programming fund, goes a long way toward solidifying the future of those stations.

Canadian Heritage committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. My name is Mr. Rick Arnish, and I am president of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, from our head office in Kamloops, British Columbia. I've been in this wonderful business for over 40 years, and our owner, Mr. Pattison, has been in the broadcasting business some 44 years.