LANG meeting 14 · 2025-12-02 — Committee Evidence — LegisWatch

Summary

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages met to study the challenges facing French-language media and artists, hearing from Caroline Jamet, President of Cogeco Media Inc., and Alexis Normand, an artist-entrepreneur from Saskatchewan.

Caroline Jamet described the existential threat to French-language commercial radio from foreign digital platforms, which capture most advertising revenue while facing no regulatory constraints. She argued that the current regulatory framework, including a 65% French-language music quota, was created in a different era and is unsustainable as radio loses audiences and revenue. She made five specific asks: close a loophole in section 19 of the Income Tax Act that lets advertisers deduct expenses on foreign platforms; create tax incentives for buying Canadian media advertising; have the federal government prioritize Canadian media for its own ad spending; include radio in the Canadian journalism labour tax credit; and have the CRTC reduce the regulatory burden on radio. She disagreed with the idea that lowering the music quota is the solution, instead urging a comprehensive rebalancing of the system.

Alexis Normand strongly opposed any reduction in French-language music quotas, arguing that quotas are essential for the visibility and survival of francophone artists, especially those from minority communities. She recommended that a portion of the quota be reserved for artists from the Canadian Francophonie, that digital platforms be regulated to include French-language and Canadian music discoverability requirements, and that a minimum French-language music quota be imposed on English-language commercial radio stations. She also called for financial incentives for advertising on French-language radio and for action on the disappearance of FM radios in new cars. While acknowledging the financial pressures on radio described by Ms. Jamet, she disagreed that cutting quotas is the answer, stating it would protect profit margins at the expense of French.

The committee began with a procedural debate: Conservative MP Joël Godin sought unanimous consent to amend the Thursday agenda to invite the new Minister of Official Languages, Marc Miller, to appear. Liberal MP Madeleine Chenette objected, arguing the minister would not be ready, and the motion did not pass. The committee later agreed to extend the witness portion to a full hour.

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Witnesses · 2

Caroline Jamet

President, Cogeco Media inc.

Opening remarks

Thank you. Honourable MPs, members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, thank you for granting me the opportunity to testify before you today. I am Caroline Jamet, and I’m the president of Cogeco Media. We head 21 radio stations in Quebec and Eastern Ontario, which reach nearly 4.5 million listeners per week. French-language radio advertising is an essential pillar of our culture and local news, but regulatory unfairness in the face of foreign web giants is threatening its survival. To protect our local voices, the government must act now and level the playing field by supporting our industry. We are passionate about radio. We believe in its unique force as well as in our fundamental role. For more than 40 years, we’ve been a key player in the free flow of ideas and information, contributing to Quebecois and Canadian culture for the local communities we serve. We are committed to keep playing this role. French-language music on our airwaves is part of our mission, and so is promoting local artists. We also cover the rich cultural vitality in other areas like film, theatre and books. We share the goal of promoting Canadian musical content. Our commitment goes well…

Full testimony ↗

Alexis Normand

Artist-Entrepreneur, Les Productions Normand

Opening remarks

Good morning, I am Alexis Normand, a writer, composer and performer. I make jazz-inspired folk music, and I also direct documentaries. In life, I consider myself to be a Franco-Saskatchewan artist entrepreneur. For more than 20 years, my art has explored language, identities and the history of those who are part of the Canadian Francophonie. I’ll start with the obvious: reducing French-language song quotas is a major mistake for the survival of French. For me, a Canadian francophone artist, and for my colleagues, the issue goes beyond language. These cuts would weaken an already fragile cultural ecosystem, which allows our voices to exist on the air. It’s a matter of visibility, but it’s mostly a matter of identity. Our accents, our dialects and our stories are rarely sung on commercial radio. Quotas are sometimes the only thing guaranteeing that a French-Canadian song will reach the public in Quebec, for example, even if the song is solid, catchy and competitive. Reducing the quota would reduce our chances of being heard to nearly nothing. In my opinion, not only should the quotas be maintained, but a certain percentage should be reserved for the Canadian Francophonie’s artists.…