Speeches and Interviews

May 6, 1999

Presentation to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage by Guylaine Saucier and The Honourable Perrin Beatty

By Guylaine Saucier, Chair, Board of Directors, and The Honourable Perrin Beatty, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

(Please check against delivery)

CBC President Perrin Beatty and I would like to thank the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage for this opportunity to come before you today to discuss the CBC's role in the delivery of cultural policy. To help us answer any questions you may have, we have with us today is Michel Tremblay, the CBC's Chief Planning Officer .

There could be no more opportune time for us to come before this Committee, which is itself submitting a report to Parliament on Canada's cultural policy in a matter of weeks. The CBC — by any measure — is a cornerstone of our common culture, and we hope that our discussions here today will assist this Committee with its vital task.

But this discussion is also timely for other reasons as well:

• First, the World Trade Organization is flashing an amber warning light that many of the tools that Canada has used in the past to promote and protect cultural sovereignty may not survive in the future.

• Second, the CBC has put forward a strategic plan that we believe will partially address the issue of cultural sovereignty and will allow the Corporation to carry out the spirit and the letter of the 1991 Canadian Broadcasting Act. Mr. Beatty will address this in a few moments.

• And third, with licence renewals pending and a bold new direction being contemplated, it is important to address the issue of the relationship between the Government and the CBC, and that between the CBC and its audience.

Now the role the CBC plays in fostering Canadian culture is not a tale that wants for the telling. So you will allow me to take a somewhat different approach — and one that will respect our limited time today.

I propose to take three objectives drawn from the Canadian Heritage Portfolio itself, and compare them with the CBC's record on the cultural front. My purpose is straightforward — to demonstrate that the CBC is a prime instrument in fulfilling cultural policy.

The first Heritage Portfolio objective is "to enhance pride in Canada."

Many institutions contribute to this objective and the CBC claims no monopoly here. But can it be truly said that there is any single institution that has done more — consistently and over six decades — to enhance pride in Canada than the CBC?

The CBC stands as a beacon in times of crisis and in times of joy.

By providing Canadians with familiar reference points, spanning regions, cultures and operations, the CBC acts as a forum to share values, and foster greater understanding amongst ourselves.

Whether we are capturing Paul Henderson's winning goal in the Canada Cup in 1972, or the exploits of our Olympic athletes in successive games…

Whether we are serving witness to Canadians from across the country as they help their neighbours in the Manitoba or Saguenay floods, or using our technology to break through the isolation of families struggling to survive last year's ice storm…

Whether we are bringing Canada Day Celebrations to every corner of the country, or celebrating through docu-dramas such historic achievements as the discovery of insulin…

By telling these stories… by capturing these moments and bringing them into our living rooms, the CBC enhances the understanding of and pride in Canada.

Now let's consider the second Heritage Portfolio objective, which is "to protect Canada's heritage."

The word 'heritage' means many things to many people. But it certainly includes such legendary entertainers as Lorne Greene, Anne Murray and Louis Quilico. It includes athletes like Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard — all brought into national consciousness by the CBC.

Heritage includes the political, social and economic upheavals that have defined us as a people: the Quiet Revolution, the decline of the Newfoundland cod fishery, the rise of Western populism, the search for self-government by our indigenous peoples. The CBC has been there to document it all, to help Canadians understand, to be an integral part of our lives and our perception of the characters and events that form our heritage.

We produce programs the private sector would never consider — programs whose primary goal is to enhance our appreciation of our heritage. Only the CBC would bring to life Canada: a People's History, a 30-hour history series in the works for prime time airing. Produced in English and French, such a project would be too ambitious and too risky for private sector broadcasters. Nor would the private sector provide a French-language radio service to every region of Canada, regardless of the size of market.

The independence of our news and information service, as guaranteed by the Broadcasting Act, strongly reinforces our rich heritage of freedom and democracy. This is an important thing to remember — especially when the dictates of journalistic independence occasionally generate tension with the government of the day.

The third and final Heritage Portfolio objective I'll discuss today is "to ensure access to Canadian voices and Canadian spaces."

The Department of Canadian Heritage elaborates on this point as follows:

"We will support the production, distribution and promotion of Canadian content that reflects our linguistic duality and cultural diversity; and we will foster an ongoing national cultural dialogue within Canada."

That is the CBC. It is what we do every day.

The CBC is the only broadcaster to serve all regions of Canada in both English and French. But we take our responsibility to enrich our linguistic heritage one step further.

Consider the children's television program known in English as Wimzie's House and in French as La Maison de Ouimzie. It is co-produced and simultaneously broadcast in both official languages. It is a uniquely Canadian miracle — a shared cultural reference point for the children of our two main language communities.

The CBC provides programming which is pan-Canadian, and will be more so in the future. This means that we bring Canada and the world to every region of the country, and we give every region of Canada the chance to be heard by the others. Canada is multi-faceted, and our public airwaves must reflect that reality.

The CBC is the only broadcaster capable of operating right across the country in terms of production and distribution. We broadcast in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages. No other broadcaster has the mandate, infrastructure or motive to reach all Canadians. No other broadcaster has devoted so many resources to ensure Canadians see a reflection of themselves and the rest of the world on their airwaves.

Accessible public service broadcasting is essential to providing the critical mass required for effective communication of Canadian culture. Sports and comedy, drama and news, public affairs and cultural programs are all entitled to their place.

The CBC is that place.

Let me recap Canadian Heritage's objectives:

• To enhance pride in Canada
• To protect Canada's heritage
• To ensure access to Canadian voices and Canadian spaces

These objectives reflect the hopes, dreams and aspirations of millions of Canadians.

Again, I must ask you…what other institution has contributed as much to these objectives over the past six decades? None comes to mind.

The conclusion is clear: if CBC Radio-Canada did not exist, we would have to invent it… and as a start-up venture it would come at a high price indeed.

The good news is that Canadians have already made the investment in building the CBC over six decades. We are an integral part of Canadian culture and identity even as we work to enhance it.

The CBC is a primary instrument in achieving Heritage Canada's objectives and a precious resource for every Canadian. Let us use it well.

I now call upon Mr. Beatty to speak to you about our strategic plan.

This will be my last appearance before the Standing Committee before I step down as President in September, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak about a strategic plan that will — in my view — propel the CBC into the next millennium.

The plan is bold and ambitious in scope; let me briefly review its highlights.

First, we will provide programming of interest to all Canadians. This includes sports programming, which is a significant part of Canada's heritage, and also very much within the domain of our expertise.

We will provide pan-Canadian programming. For our cultural identity to survive, Canadians must see themselves reflected on their airwaves. Accordingly, we must increase the number of new voices that represent our cultural diversity in order to provide a complete and vibrant picture of the country.

We will strengthen our distinctive presence in the regions. As one Regina resident noted during the recent CRTC hearings, and I quote:

"CBC's Toronto building just isn't tall enough to show us much of the rest of Canada."

We will revitalize English Television by continuing our very successful Canadianization campaign. I can tell you that it is starting to work. This year nine out of the top ten Canadian series were shown on CBC's English Television. An important weapon in the battle for a healthy and independent Canadian culture is our ability to ensure that all Canadians — but especially our children — understand their own history and institutions.

We will provide Canada's premier news and information service. Indeed, our journalistic leadership and expertise are among CBC's greatest strengths.

We will support French language and culture right across Canada. In a global communications environment increasingly dominated by the English language, this role for the CBC becomes even more imperative.

We will build bridges between French and English cultures and communities by intensifying our efforts to produce cross-cultural programming such as CBC Newsworld's and RDI's jointly produced Culture Shock/Culture Choc, English Radio's C'est la Vie and Anglosong on French radio.

We will champion Canada's arts and culture. The CBC is Canada's electronic stage. Some of our most enduring Canadian stars emerged from CBC television and radio. With a renewed and revitalized mandate, the CBC will continue to showcase our artists, writers, musicians and creative talent.

We will develop a constellation of new services to better respond to Canadians. The CBC of tomorrow must be available to all Canadians, wherever and whenever they choose to consume media. In this regard, our applications for new specialty channels last year address very real gaps in our country's programming that need to be filled by a public broadcaster.

We will play a leadership role in new media and new technology. There is not a shred of doubt that the CBC belongs — indeed, will thrive — in this swiftly growing arena. Without our presence, there is a real risk of Canadian voices being submerged.

Finally, we will provide a view of Canada abroad. The closer the world draws upon us, the more important it becomes to provide a view of Canada beyond its borders.

These commitments will set the course for the CBC of tomorrow. They represent targets that are ambitious, but within our grasp.

As this Committee considers its priorities for strengthening and celebrating Canada for the new millennium, I would encourage you consider the powerful instrument you have at your fingertips. The CBC is here to serve the cultural aspirations of all Canadians: let us use it well.