Speeches and Interviews
July 5, 1999
News Conference Concerning the Appeal to the Governor in Council of the CRTC Decision of May 21, 1999 Regarding French Specialty Licence
Statement by Madame Guylaine Saucier, Chair of the Board of Directors, Mr. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO, Madame Michèle Fortin, Vice-President, French Television
Ladies, gentlemen, members of the media, Good morning, and welcome.
We have invited you to this press conference to elaborate on our announcement of some 10 days ago that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had decided to file an appeal with the federal government of the CRTC decisions of 21 May 1999 granting new French specialty channel licences. This morning, we have submitted to the Clerk of Privy Council a petition asking the federal government to refer these decisions back to the CRTC for reconsideration and new hearings. Let me summarize for you the content of the petition and explain our reasons for launching this action.
I first wish to stress that this is a joint initiative taken with a number of prominent individuals and organizations that have agreed to be co-petitioners in our appeal. The co-petitioners are the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française, the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, the Union des artistes, the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Orchestra Canada, the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, the Festival d'été de Québec, and Pierre Juneau, Antonine Maillet and Roch Demers.
We are well aware that our action is highly unusual and we also know that the government is generally disinclined to challenge the decisions of regulatory agencies to which it has delegated authority.
To put this in context, the last time the CBC appealed to the government to seek review of a CRTC decision was in 1974.
So this is a very special action. We are proceeding with this appeal because we believe the CRTC's decisions granting new French specialty channel licences should be reviewed in light of key provisions of the Broadcasting Act and Canadian broadcasting policy.
Allow me to me remind you that 17 French specialty channel proposals were submitted to the CRTC at the public hearings held in December 1998. On May 21,1999, the CRTC announced its decision to grant licences to four proposals, Canal évasion, sponsored by Bell, Canal Histoire and Canal Fiction, submitted by Les Réseaux Premier Choix, controled by Astral, and Alliance Atlantis, and Canal Z, a Radiomutuel group proposal. This last group was subsequently bought out by Astral.
In its decision, the CRTC cited the following criteria as the basis for its choices:
- The need to give cable subscribers a package of new channels at a reasonable cost of about $6.00 a month;
- The need to strengthen some private-sector operators in the French-language market;
- The need to rebalance the availability of French speciality channels compared with those serving the English market.
After analysing these decisions, we concluded that the CRTC has erred in its decisions and failed to comply with key provisions of the Act and Canadian broadcasting policy. This is especially so with respect to the critical area of expanding programming in the French-language broadcasting system in under-represented categories, particularly in the area of arts and culture and to increase Canadian content on the air.
In its decision, the CRTC gave precedence to market considerations, basing the crux of its decision on the suggested pricing for the proposed channels, thereby placing disproportionate importance on a factor over which in fact, it has no control whatsoever. In so doing, the CRTC gave second billing to contributions to programming diversity and the objectives of the Act respecting arts and culture programming.
Furthermore, the CRTC is to ensure that French-speaking Canadians have access to channels providing the same quality and variety as those available to English-speaking Canadians. Yet Le Réseau des arts (RDA), proposed by Radio-Canada with BCE Media and La Sept ARTE, the French arm of Europe's cultural channel, ARTE, was the only application ever submitted for a French-language channel devoted exclusively to the arts and culture, while a similar English-language channel, Bravo! has been on air for several years.
We believe the Commission's decisions have denied Francophones in Canada to equivalent access to programming devoted to the arts and culture in their own language that is available to English Canadians. It also deprives them of a vital tool for the promotion of cultural and artistic production in the regions which would help establish a firm foundation for the development of French Canadian culture throughout Canada. It is also deprives our Canadian artists and producers of a domestic and international platform.
Our greatest disappointment is that this opportunity will not come around again soon. There is general agreement that once the package of channels recently approved goes on air, it will be very difficult to launch new specialty channels in French-language markets for the foreseeable future.
What we are saying to the government is that the CRTC would have served the public interest more effectively by approving a more balanced and diverse range of channels and by promoting proposals that make predominant use of Canadian resources, which cannot be said of most of the proposals approved.
We are therefore asking the government to refer the matter back to the Commission for reconsideration and hearing based on a fundamental objective of the Act, which is to provide Francophones throughout Canada with complementary television programming that is focussed on arts and culture.
In a moment, Ms. Michèle Fortin, Vice-President of French Television will provide you with details regarding the RDA proposal. First, I call on CBC President Perrin Beatty to say a few words.
PERRIN BEATTY
Last Thursday, Canadians of all backgrounds and regions celebrated our country's birthday. They did it in many ways, but music, dance, and theatre played an important role in most celebrations. It was a recognition of the fact that our arts and culture are a vital part of who we are.
That fact is also an important element of Canada's broadcast policy. That is why Parliament had the foresight, when it redefined the Broadcasting Act, to single out the promotion of arts and culture as a priority for the creation of television specialty channels.
When it refers to "alternative television services" to complement mass appeal programming the Act makes no mention of news, of youth, of business and the economy, of sports, or of history. Yet we have specialty channels, in both the English and French markets devoted to all of these important areas of programming. But arts and culture, which are specifically mentioned in the Act, have yet to find their way into the range of specialty services available for Francophones and Francophiles in Canada. Indeed, the opportunity to fill that void was passed over last May 21.
This is a key element of the CBC's case. And it is all the more disturbing that this proposal has been turned down in this year of the Francophonie in Canada — at a time when our participation in the Francophonie provides a tremendous source of pride for all Canadians.
The CRTC's decision denies Francophones access to an important source of arts and culture programming in their own language. The lack of this valuable tool weakens their ability to celebrate and strengthen their language and culture in a world dominated by English-language and American cultural content.
Le Réseau des arts was the product of unprecedented cooperation between two major cultural institutions, Radio-Canada and La Sept ARTE, the French public arm of the French-German consortium ARTE. The opportunities for cooperation in coproduction and export of Canadian cultural and artistic productions, not just to France and Europe, but throughout the Francophone world, have also been weakened by this decision.
What was particularly heartening was the depth and breadth of support among francophones from all parts of Canada. They understood the importance of this project which would do so much to enrich and strengthen our country's cultural life. That is why they were shocked by the CRTC's decision and have asked that we fight to have it reversed.
Le Réseau des arts was the only application submitted to the CRTC for a French specialty channel devoted to the arts and culture. Distributors have little remaining capacity for new channels. Industry observers agree that once the range of CRTC specialty channels recently approved by the CRTC takes to the air, it will be a long time before the launch of any additional French specialty channels. This is an enormous missed opportunity to meet the needs and aspirations of Francophones throughout Canada.
This is a missed opportunity, too, for the development and support of the arts and culture in Canada. Le Réseau des arts was designed to help nurture Francophone artists, artisans, and independent regional producers. It would give them a vehicle to pres ent their talent and creativity to other Francophones throughout Canada and to export their product to the world. It would showcase performance programming from throughout. It would give our artists an opportunity to help define who we are as a people.
There has been much debate recently — and historically — about the role of the public broadcaster in Canadian broadcasting, society and culture. There is no doubt that providing an electronic stage for our artists is a vital part of what Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC, was created to do. The citizens of Canada demand it, Canada's broadcasting policy demands it, and no one could do it better.
I will now ask Michèle Fortin, Vice-president of French Television to say a few words.
Michèle Fortin
Thank you, Perrin.
Ladies, gentlemen, members of the media,
It has been said and said again: French Television at CBC must contribute to the development and dissemination of French culture in Canada. That is our primary mission and we will carry out that mission on our main channel and on RDI with all our energy.
French Television has a duty to reflect the various communities to each other and to focus on their historical roots in all regions of the country.
We are also expected to keep abreast of new ideas and to innovate in the area of our expertise.
Thus, an enhanced presence in the field of arts and culture on specialty channels, such as the proposed Réseau des arts, would undeniably give viewers the benefit of greater quality content in French.
Nor can we ignore the fact that the Francophones who watch specialty channels will seek in English what they cannot find in their own language.
We have seen the extent to which RDI has closed this gap and become an essential source of information for Francophones throughout Canada.
The RDI experience has taught us that a specialty channel must deliver an impeccable product.
The planned Réseau des arts is the first and only specialty channel ever proposed that would be dedicated exclusively to arts and culture in French.
This proposal would provide an unprecedented tool for promoting our culture in Canada, while reaffirming Canada's position in the French audiovisual world.
We must remember that La Sept ARTE, which is a partner in this project, is the French arm of Europe's cultural channel. It has developed impressive expertise in cultural programming and would contribute that expertise to RDA.
Through this partnership, Le Réseau des arts would showcase Canada's artistic production to the world and present Canadians with the best of what is done around the globe. ARTE is available to 100 million Francophones in Europe and is seen by 32 million viewers daily.
Above all, it would present our own culture — the culture that is created and experienced in French in every region of our country — through biographies, portraits and in-depth interviews, through stage productions, museums and workshops.
The proposed Réseau des arts received some 250 expressions of support, including 80 or so from prestigious Canadian artists and cultural organizations. This resounding support from arts and cultural institutions and organizations from all regions of Canada was provided for obvious reasons:
- Because RDA would reflect and acknowledge artistic activity by Canadian Francophones;
- Because it would make all forms of expression visible and accessible;
- Because it would democratize access to culture and the arts;
- Because it would foster interaction and dialogue between artists and the public.
RDA would definitely have enhanced the package of services authorized by the CRTC and made a major contribution to increasing the diversity of French-language programming in Canada.
Guylaine Saucier
Thank you Perrin. Thank you Michèle.
You have now heard our arguments. They have resulted today in joint action by the CBC and numerous interested parties from the cultural sphere in Canada, seeking greater fairness and a better balance in Canada's broadcasting system and an adherence to the law.
The government must now weigh our appeal against its own responsibilities under the Act and of the responsibilities it has conferred in the CBC to promote French culture in Canada and to maintain and enhance Canada's national identity and cultural sovereignty.
Thank you. We will now answer your questions.
