QUESTION PERIOD — Canadian Heritage
CBC/Radio-Canada
February 27, 2020
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
This year, the Government of Canada promised to modernize the Broadcasting Act, which covers CBC/Radio-Canada’s mandate. In its final report, the review panel the government tasked with reviewing the act stated the following:
Given the vital role that Canadian cultural content can play in connecting Canadians to one another and in sharing our different stories, it is important to find new ways within the emerging media landscape to encourage this mutual exchange, so that Canadians are shaped by our own values, cultures, and perspectives. The Broadcasting Act should explicitly state that CBC/Radio-Canada should reflect national, regional, and local communities to national, regional, and local audiences.
Here is my question for you, Senator Gold. Given that CBC/Radio-Canada makes its programming choices independently, and in light of its efforts to fulfill its regional mandate, how is the government planning to change that mandate to ensure that our public broadcaster truly reflects regional and local realities, such as those of official language minority communities, across its nationally broadcast programming?
Thank you for the question.
I would like us to come back to the context of the Yale report tabled just a few weeks ago. As you know, the report of the review panel is very ambitious and comprehensive. I’ve received confirmation that the government will look at all the recommendations, including those at the heart of your question. The government will take measures fairly quickly, or as quickly as possible.
Let me come back to your question about CBC/Radio-Canada. As the honourable senator knows, the broadcaster’s current mandate is to provide primarily Canadian programming services that reflect the diverse geographic, cultural, linguistic, and identity realities of Canadians. Any new measure that is taken will have to reflect the government’s ongoing commitment to supporting the growth and prosperity of official language minority communities and promoting both our official languages across the country.
I would like to ask Senator Gold a supplementary question.
Do you agree with me that, yes, CBC/Radio-Canada does a great job of carrying out its mandate in the regions — although there is always room for improvement — but in the case of programs produced for the national network from coast to coast to coast, the issues relevant to francophone and Acadian communities and to regions outside major centres do not receive as much attention as those of major centres?
That is a very good question.
You are asking for my personal opinion. I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I am probably not attuned enough to this issue when I watch television, in English or French, and I have to say that I cannot tell you whether I agree with you or not.
However, if that is the case, I hope that improvements will be made to better reflect the regional reality of our country, because we are a country of regions. To conclude, when I have the opportunity, I will watch television with a more discerning eye.
