The committee met to study the state of the journalism and media sectors. Appearing were Christa Dickenson (President and CEO, CPAC), Kevin Desjardins (President, Canadian Association of Broadcasters), Jeff Thiessen (Vice-President, Miracle Channel Association), Barry Rooke (Executive Director, National Campus and Community Radio Association), and Amir Epstein (CEO, Tafsik Organization).
Christa Dickenson described CPAC as a non-profit, commercial-free service providing unfiltered access to Canada's democratic institutions, but said it faces severe financial strain as cable and satellite revenues decline. She noted CPAC recently cut two flagship programs and laid off 15% of staff, and called for a "services of exceptional importance fund" requiring streaming services to contribute, plus $8 million for infrastructure and $5 million annually for three years in operating support. She argued that without stable funding, democratic coverage will contract.
Kevin Desjardins said commercial broadcasters spend over $680 million on news but are undermined by foreign digital platforms capturing 75% of Canadian ad dollars and driving cord-cutting. He recommended emergency support for the independent local news fund, extending the journalism labour tax credit to broadcasters, and dedicating 70% of government ad spending to Canadian media. He argued that foreign streamers have an easier path to the Canadian market than regulated broadcasters, and that Canada must reject treating media sovereignty as a bargaining chip in CUSMA.
Jeff Thiessen said his independent local station in Lethbridge invested heavily in local news expecting funding from streamer contributions under Bill C-11, but saw its allocation cut by 43% after the CRTC added Corus, with overall funding down 72% since 2017. He warned that if court appeals delay the CRTC decision, small stations may have to repay loans, forcing further cuts. He also noted the Online News Act has not delivered compensation from dominant platforms, and called for closing the advertising loophole for foreign digital platforms.
Barry Rooke said the NCRA represents over 120 non-profit stations powered by 23,000 volunteers, often the only local news source in rural and Indigenous communities. He argued that existing funding programs under Bill C-18 exclude community broadcasters, and that the sector needs stable core funding modelled on Australia's $20 million annual investment. He proposed a $30 million annual community radio initiative, plus top-up funding and a sector survey, and asked the committee to recommend this to the Minister of Finance.
Amir Epstein argued that the CBC amplifies unverified claims from terrorist sources, citing the al Ahli hospital explosion reporting, and that this biased coverage normalizes anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in Canada. He said the CBC platforms fringe anti-Zionist Jewish voices that do not represent the majority of Canadian Jews, contributing to a climate of hostility. He called for balanced reporting and for the CBC to stop using sources linked to terrorist organizations, and warned that many Jewish Canadians are considering leaving the country.
The committee briefly debated two motions from Rachael Thomas: one for a seven-meeting study on Department of Heritage funding, and another for a six-meeting study on the Alto High Speed Rail project's impact on cultural and historical sites. David Myles moved to adjourn debate on the first motion, which was agreed to, and discussion of the second motion was deferred. Members also discussed whether to hold a subcommittee meeting or a full committee meeting to plan future business, with agreement to proceed on Tuesday.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.