Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Senator Moreau, Radio-Canada and CBC have decided to do business with American giant Amazon Prime by adding to that platform the streaming news channels RDI and CBC News Network, which will be available to Prime subscribers for $4.99 each.

According to Quebec minister Mathieu Lacombe, this makes no sense. There is a political consensus in Quebec that it’s unacceptable for Radio-Canada to offer Canadian content to an American platform that is helping to undermine the vitality and reach of our Quebec culture.

Isn’t this basically a deal with the devil?

Hon. Pierre Moreau (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question, senator.

Senator Miville-Dechêne, my understanding is that RDI and CBC are subscription-based services that have to be distributed. Fewer and fewer people have cable subscriptions, while more and more Canadians, especially young Canadians, consume digital media.

This morning, I heard the vice-president of Radio-Canada explain that the Crown corporation’s decision was based on the fact that it wants French and English content by CBC and RDI to be available across Canada, including in communities that don’t have access to RDI and CBC News Network content because they don’t have cable.

My understanding is that Radio-Canada made this decision because ensuring that news and culture reach a wide audience is important —

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Thank you, Senator Moreau.

Senator Miville-Dechêne: Do you not feel somewhat alarmed by or uncomfortable about this business decision?

I understand that many young Quebecers use Prime, but why not broadcast RDI on a platform such as TOU.TV in order to assert our cultural sovereignty and have viewers support local platforms rather than capitulating to the power of foreign streaming giants?

Senator Moreau: RDI and CBC are already broadcast on a Canadian digital platform called RiverTV, which is owned by Quebecor.

My understanding is that the desired outcome is a wider audience. All of RDI’s content is being broadcast, and this whole situation stems from commercial agreements that are constantly being negotiated. The vice president of Radio-Canada said this morning that negotiations were also under way with other broadcasters.