Cbc/Radio-Canada’S Official Languages Obligations
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For more information please contact us: by email: [email protected] by phone: (613) 990-0088 toll-free: 1 800 267-7362 by mail: The Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, Senate, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0A4 This report can be downloaded at: www.senate-senat.ca/ollo.asp The Senate of Canada is on Twitter: @SenateCA, follow the committee using the hashtag #OLLO Ce rapport est également offert en français. Contents MEMBERS ........................................................................................... I ORDER OF REFERENCE ................................................................................ II ACRONYMS ......................................................................................... III PREFACE .......................................................................................... IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................. V INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1 – CBC/RADIO-CANADA’S OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OBLIGATIONS ........... 4 1.1 The Broadcasting Act ........................................................................... 4 1.2 The Official Languages Act ................................................................... 6 1.2.1 Overview of complaints received by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages ........................................................................................ 7 1.2.2 Court action: Commissioner of Official Languages v. CBC/Radio-Canada ..... 7 1.3 Existing mechanisms ............................................................................ 8 1.3.1 Strategy 2015: Everyone, Every way..................................................... 8 1.3.2 Reporting .......................................................................................... 9 1.3.3 Regions’ Panel ................................................................................. 10 1.3.4 Other forms of consultation ................................................................ 11 1.3.5 Agreement for the Development of Arts and Culture .............................. 11 1.3.6 Local Programming Improvement Fund ................................................ 12 1.4 CBC/Radio-Canada licence renewal .................................................... 15 1.5 Budget cuts ........................................................................................ 18 CHAPTER 2 – KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY ................................................... 19 2.1 CBC/Radio-Canada at the heart of community development ............... 19 2.1.1 A vital French presence ..................................................................... 19 2.1.2 A key partner ................................................................................... 20 2.2 Reflecting the communities on the airwaves ...................................... 23 2.2.1 Seeing, hearing and reading about themselves ..................................... 23 2.2.2 Reflecting regional diversity: not just in the regions .............................. 26 2.3 Offer of services in English and French ............................................... 33 2.3.1 Who is the target audience? ............................................................... 34 2.3.2 Focusing on services of equivalent quality ............................................ 38 2.3.3 CBC/Radio-Canada as a leader in the advancement of linguistic duality .... 40 2.4 The importance of consultation .......................................................... 44 2.4.1 Existing mechanisms fall short ........................................................... 44 2.4.2 A corporate culture out of touch with the needs of official-language minority communities ................................................................................... 47 2.4.3 The effects of budget cuts on communities ........................................... 49 2.5 Youth: a target audience .................................................................... 50 2.5.1 Services for youth ............................................................................ 51 2.5.2 Attracting young people’s interest ....................................................... 53 2.6 The place of artists ............................................................................ 57 2.6.1 Franco-Canadian artists ..................................................................... 57 Contents 2.6.2 Anglo-Quebec artists ......................................................................... 60 2.7 Increased use of new platforms ......................................................... 61 2.7.1 From analog to digital ....................................................................... 61 2.7.2 Traditional platforms ......................................................................... 62 2.7.3 New platforms ................................................................................. 65 2.8 Reporting challenges ......................................................................... 69 2.8.1 The public broadcaster’s performance regarding respect for language obligations: a case-by-case assessment .............................................. 69 2.8.2 Criteria to be used ............................................................................ 71 2.9 Other media ....................................................................................... 72 2.9.1 The place of community media and its relationship with CBC/Radio-Canada: greater collaboration?....................................................................... 72 2.9.2 The emergence of new channels on the francophone media landscape ..... 75 CHAPTER 3 – OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: KEY CHALLENGES REGARDING RESPECT FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGES .......................................... 79 3.1 Fulfilling the public broadcaster’s mandate: greater reflection of Canada’s two official languages ........................................................ 79 3.1.1 CBC/Radio-Canada: serving all francophones ....................................... 79 3.1.2 CBC/Radio-Canada: embodying linguistic duality ................................... 81 3.2 Consultation and collaboration: a partnership to enhance community vitality .............................................................................................. 83 3.2.1 Developing a robust, institutionalized dialogue that takes communities’ views into account .................................................................................... 83 3.2.2 Greater collaboration between CBC/Radio-Canada and community media . 84 3.3 Regional diversity: an issue that concerns the national network and all regional stations .............................................................................. 85 3.3.1 Emphasizing local programming ......................................................... 86 3.3.2 Promoting collaboration between regional stations and the national network87 3.3.3 Reflecting the talents of minority communities ...................................... 88 3.4 Expectations for the coming years ..................................................... 89 3.4.1 A priority: attracting youth ................................................................ 89 3.4.2 Better governance ............................................................................ 90 3.4.3 Effective reporting ............................................................................ 91 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 93 APPENDIX A – RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................... I APPENDIX B – COMPARISON OF CONDITIONS OF LICENCE AND EXPECTATIONS OF OFFICIAL-LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES (OLMC), 2000 AND 2013 ............................................................................................. III APPENDIX C – WITNESSES ......................................................................... XI APPENDIX D – BRIEFS, PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS .................... XVII APPENDIX E – NOTES .............................................................................. XIX Members Members of the Committee: The Honourable Claudette Tardif, The Honourable Andrée Champagne,P.C., Chair* Deputy Chair* The Honourable Senators: Lynn Beyak Maria Chaput Marie-P. Charette-Poulin Suzanne Fortin-Duplessis* Paul E. McIntyre Rose-May Poirier *Members of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure Former Committee members who have participated in this study: The Honourable Senators: Pierre De Bané, P.C. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool Percy Mockler Fernand (retired) (retired) Robichaud, P.C. Other Senators who have participated Ex officio members of the Committee: from time to time in this study: The Honourable Senators Bellemare, The Honourable Senators Claude Boisvenu, Buth, Callbeck, Comeau, P.C. Carignan, P.C. (or Yonah Martin) and (retired), Dawson, Demers, Marshall, James S. Cowan (or Joan Fraser) McInnis, Ringuette, Rivard and Segal Staff Members: Marie-Ève Hudon, Analyst from the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament Daniel Charbonneau, Committee Clerk Page | i Order of Reference Excerpt from the Journals of the Senate of Thursday 21 November 2013: The Honourable Senator Tardif moved, seconded by the Honourable Senator Ringuette: That the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages be authorized to examine and report on CBC/Radio-Canada's obligations