MONTREAL – In the context of the tabling of Bill C-10, the amendments seeking to modernize the Broadcasting Act, Quebecor’s TVA Group commissioned a poll to survey Quebecers’ perceptions and opinions about the role and complementarity of public and private television networks in Quebec.
1,019 English- or French-speaking respondents across Québec were surveyed between November 6 and November 12. The survey found:
- 78% of Quebecers believe it is in the public interest for public and private networks to complement rather than compete in the content that they offer.
- 81% of Quebecers believe the government should ensure that public broadcasters have clear and specific mandates.
- Over 50% of Quebecers believe that the public networks operated by CBC/Radio-Canada should broadcast more content in certain genres, such as documentaries, investigative journalism, local and international news, and Quebec and Canadian productions.
- 93% of Quebecers agree that CBC/Radio-Canada should be totally transparent in the financial management of its activities and its use of public funds.
- 74% of Quebecers consider it unacceptable that Radio-Canada, as a public, government-funded television network, offers content available exclusively to paying subscribers to its Tou.tv Extra service.
“The new bill to update the Broadcasting Act addresses the need to ensure regulatory equity between foreign digital enterprises and local traditional broadcasters, which are important vehicles of culture and identity,” said Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor, in the press release. “These measures have been long awaited by the industry, and they are essential. But the roles of public and private broadcasters and the need for complementarity are also issues of concern for Quebecers. The future of our television industry and the diversity of its programming depend on a balanced ecosystem in which each broadcaster has its role to play.”
“It is important that public and private broadcasters each make a distinct and complementary contribution in order to be able to continue innovating and appealing to Quebec audience,” says France Lauzière, president and CEO of TVA group and chief content officer of Quebecor Content. “It is therefore imperative to deal with this issue and to act without delay, for the benefit of the Quebec broadcasting system and Quebec television viewers.”
Update: We asked the CBC/SRC to respond and a spokesperson wrote in an email:” We have no comment on Quebecor’s poll or their commercial interests. We know how much Canadians value the services CBC/Radio-Canada provides to all Canadians in both French and English.”
The virtual hearing on the renewal of the CBC/SRC are scheduled to start on January 11, 2020.
Please click here for the full poll, done by Leger.
