Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Senator Cardozo’s inquiry regarding the future of CBC/Radio-Canada. Although I feel as though Radio-Canada better meets my needs because it broadcasts content in French, I have a great deal of respect for the CBC, which is facing much greater challenges in terms of competitiveness and the relevance of its content.

In 1932, the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, the predecessor of CBC/Radio-Canada, was established. The following year, in 1933, the first radio news bulletin was aired. By 1936, a Crown corporation was formed to manage a national broadcasting system, which was named CBC/Radio-Canada.

In 1939, regular broadcasts of the Montreal Canadiens’ hockey games became live, coming from the Montreal Forum. The coverage also started with the outbreak of the Second World War. At the time, radio remained the quickest and most accessible way to follow the news.

The first television station went on the air in 1952 in Montreal and Toronto. Three years later, 66% of the population had access to Canadian television networks. In 1955, the opening of the parliamentary session and the reading of the Speech from the Throne were televised for the first time on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s first trip to Canada as sovereign.

In 1966, in a new technological era, CBC/Radio-Canada began broadcasting in colour. In 1993, the first online services were launched at cbc.ca followed by radio-canada.ca in 1995.

In 2005 came the launch of SiriusXM Canada satellite radio with the channels ICI Radio-Canada Première and CBC Radio One. This would be followed by the online viewing platforms ICI Tou.tv and CBC Gem in 2018, and two mobile applications Radio-Canada OHdio and CBC Listen in 2019.

Today, CBC/Radio-Canada is present on 27 television channels and 88 radio stations. Its content is accessible throughout Canada, even in rural areas. It broadcasts diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages, and it has an international presence.

One of CBC/Radio-Canada’s most important characteristics is the high quality of news and public affairs content. Content is researched, well-documented and supported by factual data, making it a highly qualified broadcaster for our country. At a time when Canadian trust is being severely tested by misinformation and disinformation on social media, it is reassuring to rely on a public broadcaster that respects its audience.

For the 2024-25 financial year, CBC/Radio-Canada will rely on $1.38 billion in federal government subsidies, which accounts for approximately 70% of the budget. The remainder will primarily come from advertising revenues.

In the speech that he gave in this chamber on May 21, Senator Cardozo said the following, and I quote:

An important issue is that the French language Radio-Canada is more popular than its English counterpart and also plays a more important role culturally in Quebec than the Canadian francophone world. The reasons for this are at least twofold.

In the North American content that is primarily anglophone, French programming has a high viewership among francophone viewers, while English CBC faces a massive number of competitors. English-speaking Canadians have a massive amount of choice from Canada and the United States, while there are comparatively fewer French networks that appeal to a Quebec and Canadian audience. Indeed, Radio-Canada is known for the high standard of programming it provides.

Senator Cardozo’s research has revealed the following, and again I quote:

About 21.3 million Canadians use CBC digital services each month. In addition, CBC local radio programs are the most listened to radio programs in 21 out of 30 markets across the country. In the other nine, they are a close second.

I repeat, 21.3 million Canadians use CBC’s digital services every month. That’s more than half the Canadian population.

As you all know, I am a Franco-Ontarian. I was born here in Ottawa and I lived here for 37 years. I’ve been living in Northern Ontario since 1996. I spent six years in Sudbury and I’m starting my 23rd year in North Bay. I come from a francophone family. My mother is a Quebecer, born in the city of Hull — she used to be called a “Hull baby” — and my father is a Franco-Ontarian born in the town of Cochrane, in northeastern Ontario. My family’s connection to the French language and culture runs deep. I was raised and educated entirely in French, whether at home, at school or in my choice of television or radio programs. I had a 38-year career in French in the francophone financial cooperative sector.

I’m sure you can tell that I feel deeply connected to the French language and culture and the legacy that comes with it. If we were to talk about music, I would tell you about Vigneault, Leclerc, Charlebois, Dufresne, Ferland, Ferré, Brassens, Mathieu, Harmonium, la Chicane and the Cowboys fringants. If we were to talk about literature, I would tell you about Beauchemin, Morency, Desbiens, Roy and Laferrière. If we were to talk about television programs, I would tell you that as a youngster I liked “Bobino,” “La Boîte à surprise,” “Moi et l’autre,” “Rue des pignons,” “Les beaux dimanches,” “Rue de l’anse” and “La vie qui bat.”

If we were to talk about radio programs, again from my childhood, I would tell you about “Le chapelet,” broadcast at 7:00 p.m., “Les joyeux troubadours,” broadcast from Monday to Friday at noon, and the tales of “Tante Lucille,” broadcast on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m.

As I mentioned earlier, I live in North Bay, which is four hours northeast of Ottawa. For residents of my greater region, there are very few French-language radio stations, and in North Bay, there is only one station accessible on a free network. That station, as you may have guessed, is Radio-Canada

Ici Radio-Canada Première is my travelling companion during my commutes between North Bay and Ottawa. I have access to content like “Pénélope,” a program with varied content that tackles some very interesting subjects, “Midi info,” which analyzes the news of the day, “Il restera toujours la culture,” which combines musical and literary information, and “Moteur de recherche,” which provides straightforward explanations of scientific issues. When I’m in the local broadcast zones, I have access to programs from Sudbury and Ottawa. Outside those areas, between Deux Rivières and Deep River, I listen to classical music.

All the programs I listen to on Ici Radio-Canada Première are unique, well-researched, factual, informative and interesting. What more can I say? In my opinion, that’s what sets this public broadcaster apart from all the others and makes it unique, valid and valuable to our country.

I’d like to tell you about another one of my travel companions, one that I enjoy using on my daily walks: the OHdio digital platform.

I discovered this platform during the pandemic. It offers a large number of audiobooks, including biographies, novels and children’s books. The selection is wide-ranging and very interesting. It’s got something for everyone: the great Leonard Cohen, Dr. Stanley Vollant, Stéphane Rousseau’s Famille royale, Paul-Émile Borduas the painter, France Castel, Renée Claude, Édith Butler and coach Pierre Gervais. The stories I listen to are fascinating, the narrations are interesting and the sound production is exceptional.

The OHdio site contains a treasure trove of information about Quebec’s Quiet Revolution and the October Crisis, along with news stories, old broadcasts and countless podcasts.

It has everything from major police investigations, history, arts and culture to biology, science and humour. Since I started using this site, I’ve spent at least fifteen hours a week listening to it.

There’s also the ici.tou.tv website. I’m not a big fan of television programs, as my schedule doesn’t allow me to be captive to a fixed broadcast schedule. I watch only a few programs, mostly on demand. I sometimes watch segments of Tout le monde en parle and Infoman.

During the Paris Olympic Games, I followed the highlights on the tou.tv platform. I really enjoyed the summaries that were presented. It was far too beautiful outside to watch the Olympics non‑stop for hours. I like having access to the French-language films available in the repertoire and watching certain programmes on Ici Explora.

What about CBC? This network keeps me informed. I watch to “The National” every day to get news from Canada and abroad. If I can’t catch the newscast, I watch it later. I particularly enjoy the “At Issue” segment on Thursdays, with journalists Rosemary Barton, Chantal Hébert, Andrew Coyne and Althia Raj. Their analyses are always interesting and insightful, and the experience they have gained from their long careers in political circles makes their discussions very enlightening and informative.

I also appreciate the “About That” segment, which offers carefully researched explanations of stories that affect us every day. It’s not about sensationalism; it’s about facts. It encourages viewers to think about the complex problems facing our society and offers some interesting insights.

Based on the information we received from Senator Cardozo, CBC/Radio-Canada services cost $33 per Canadian. I think that is a very small price to pay for fair, superior quality, reliable content. In my opinion, as a francophone with limited access to French content in my home region, Radio-Canada is not only a vitally important option, but a top-quality option as well.

I wish to thank CBC/Radio-Canada. You see Canadians for what they are: intelligent people with a thirst for knowledge and information. It is in our best interest to preserve this national treasure.

Thank you for your attention.