By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In the disagreement between the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF) et la Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne (FCFA) and the CBC over the alleged lack of transparency of the CBC in filing its Mission Metrics survey, the CBC responded on February 17 and the FCCF/FCFA the following day.
“The survey on perception filed on January 18, 2020, is a fulsome and adequate response to the undertaking we agreed to at the (CRTC) hearing,” wrote Claude Galipeau, executive vice-president, corporate development of the CBC in French.
He goes on to explain that the polling firm Léger gathers information from an exclusive web panel and the raw weighted data is then transferred to the CBC which internally analyzes this information, so there is not a “Léger report,” meaning it could not have been filed as requested by the FCCF/FCFA.
The FCCF/FCFA had asked for example in order to see the margins of error but the CBC replied it had relied on a web panel, which is a nonprobability sample and a margin of error cannot be calculated on a nonprobability sample.
For its part, the FCCF/FCFA reiterated Commissioner Claire Anderson asked on January 14: “So just for clarity, I was wondering if we could please just get the full report in its entirety because we’ve been relying on it a lot and, to the extent that it’s helpful in showing that you’re meeting the needs for local programming and diversity. It would—it’s beneficial to all if we all are in agreement that we all have the same document.”
The organization added the CBC keeps referring to annexes of a document that needs to be more complete. “We (FCCF/FCFA) do not believe the CBC when it affirms, while being judge and jury, that tries to convince us that there is nothing to see in the body of the main document,” said Marie-Christine Morin, director of the FCCF in the reply in French.
Furthermore, it asks to see the weighting by province of the survey so they can assess the number of francophones outside Québec were consulted to conclude that the CBC fulfils its mission towards that community.
“We have difficulty understanding why CBC/Radio-Canada has not provided all the information related to this survey. If data are so conclusive that Francophones outside Quebec are satisfied with the broadcaster’s services, then why is the public broadcaster systematically looking for ways to sidestep the commitment to provide complete information about this source? We should have access to all the information related to this survey, not just selected pieces. What the CBC/Radio-Canada has provided to date does not meet the commitment made to the CRTC during the hearings,” added Morin in an email to Cartt.ca/
The CRTC needs to render its decision quickly on this since the intervenors have until March 1 to file their final submissions.
“While we do not agree with the characterization set forth in the procedural request, we have submitted our reply to the CRTC,” said Leon Mar, director, media relations and issues management at the CBC, in an email to Cartt.ca.
“We are confident that, with the CRTC and the input of stakeholders, we can find a regulatory path forward that will permit CBC/Radio-Canada to continue to deliver on its mandate, to remain audience-centric and to serve Canadians where they consume content, while leaving no one behind.”
