Canadian Heritage committee  What about podcasting in the future? Podcasting in the future will need to have content, and when there isn't a radio orchestra to create that, it means they will have to be dependent upon recordings from other countries. What about all the wonderful new composers and the wonderful new performers who could be featured?

Canadian Heritage committee  I would say to you what I said to the executives of the CBC when they came out to get rid of the orchestra, which is that the CBC Radio Orchestra fulfills the letter and spirit of the CBC mandate magnificently, and they in their work are ignoring the mandate of the CBC. Because they are not following the mandate of the CBC, this should be an issue of concern for the board and for your committee.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes, thank you for that question, Mr. Siksay. It is cost-effective because it works in a studio, and the studio is a great 21st century creation. It's the way Glenn Gould was actually created as a phenomenon. The CBC radio studio is an amazing place. With just this amazing orchestra, a producer, and a couple of technicians, in about six hours they can produce a broadcast, and in about nine hours they can produce a CD.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm Colin Miles, from the Canadian Music Centre. The CBC recorded zero performances of the Vancouver Symphony last year, even though they did all kinds of wonderful performances of Canadian music, incredible things, and not a single one was recorded. They are not saving the money from the CBC Radio Orchestra to record other orchestras; they're spending less money on recording.

Canadian Heritage committee  Okay, I'll save my story.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you, Mr. Scott. We are very pleased that it was by unanimous motion of the heritage committee that these hearings are taking place, and we're very grateful that you could arrange to have these in Vancouver. I'm part of the Stand On Guard For CBC coalition and was instrumental in starting the campaign to restore Canada's CBC Radio Orchestra within the revitalized CBC.