Canadian Heritage committee  It's difficult for us to discuss a fund that doesn't exist yet and when we're not sure how it would be stated or how it would be structured. They are talking about 1% of the BDUs' revenue, or $60 million. We can't specifically say how much of that should be spent where, but our concern is that it be directed to local programming.

Canadian Heritage committee  We will wrap up, then. In summary, we'd like to leave you with three points. Independent producers are the cornerstone of the Canadian television industry, and regional producers within the group provide the diversity of voices that make it a truly national industry. Two, as an example of a regional production community, Manitoba shows that we can build viable centres of production outside Toronto and Montreal that add diversity and creative and financial value to the national system.

Canadian Heritage committee  Although we have a strong, well-established production community, one that can be seen as a microcosm of our national community, Manitoba's industry is one of the most vulnerable to the current trends towards centralization and consolidation. We are, if you like, the canary in the mine shaft.

Canadian Heritage committee  We address you today as members of a distinct and vibrant local community located at the very centre of Canada: Winnipeg, Manitoba. Our city and our province contain many of the diverse cultures and voices that define our country, and we've developed a mature production industry that has brought those voices into our broadcasting system.