News Releases

August 11, 1999

A Decision in the Interest of All Canadians

Ottawa — The Chair of the CBC Board of Directors, Guylaine Saucier, commented today on Cabinet's decision to have the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) examine and report on the relevance of creating a nation-wide French-language arts and culture specialty television service.

"The CBC is very pleased that the government is asking the CRTC to consider the relevance of licensing a specialty television service dedicated solely to arts and culture for the benefit of Canadian francophone viewers. It is exactly what we wanted. By taking this innovative decision, the government has acknowledged the fact that Canadians have had access to an English-language specialty arts and culture channel for several years now, and their decision today may now pave the way for francophone Canadians to enjoy a comparable service," said Ms. Saucier.

The Réseau des arts proposal, developed in collaboration with its partners the French network La Sept ARTE and BCE Media, received wide support from all parts of the country when the CBC originally applied for specialty licences. When this matter was brought to the federal cabinet, various groups and individuals once again expressed their interest in seeing this project move forward.

"It is clear that the government agrees with the importance of making an effective tool for strengthening francophone cultural expression available to the public. We feel that this directive is in keeping with the interests not only of the francophone community, but of all Canadians," the Chair added.

Le Réseau des arts was the only application for a specialty French-language service devoted exclusively to arts and culture submitted to the CRTC in December 1998.

"We intend to play an active role in the process the CRTC will put in place as a result of this directive. We will continue to underline the importance of having a French-language specialty service which would reflect Canada's francophone communities and provide an electronic stage for Canadian artists and creators," the Chair concluded.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada reaches Canadians through eight national radio and television networks, its full-service Web sites, local/regional stations and affiliates, as well as the digital television channel Country Canada and the continuous music network Galaxie. In addition, CBC/Radio-Canada has forged partnerships with other broadcasters and is a partner in the satellite radio service SIRIUS Canada as well as in the specialty television services ARTV and The Documentary Channel. Through this array of activities, CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight aboriginal languages. (2006)

For additional information, please contact:

Katherine Heath-Eves
Media Relations
CBC/Radio-Canada (Ottawa)
Tel: (613) 288-6235
heathevk@cbc.ca
www.cbc.radio-canada.ca