Peter C. Newman

1444 Sasamat Street
Vancouver, B.C.
Canada, V6R 4G4

Re: Letter of Resignation from FRIENDS' Advisory Council

Dear Peter:

As you have served in an honorary capacity since 1988, you have had no involvement in the formation of our mission, priorities and strategies over the past decade, and carry no responsibility for our current direction.

We regret that, since losing your active participation thirteen years ago, we have never received any expression from you of any concerns over our policies, priorities or procedures until today.

Our mission is to defend and enhance the quality and quantity of Canadian programming in the audio-visual system. Hence, our concerns include both public and private broadcasters, the cable monopolies, other distributors, the CRTC and the federal government.

As Daryl, Ian and I told the CRTC yesterday, CanWest Global and CTV are the black sheep of the Canadian broadcasting system because they reach Canadians with so little Canadian programming during peak viewing periods. For example, only 5% of the prime-time audience Global assembled in 1999 watched Canadian shows, and only 12% of CTV's prime-time audience watched Canadian shows.

We are therefore concerned to press these two broadcasters to become more Canadian, and to bear their share of the responsibilities imposed on all Canadian broadcasters by the Broadcasting Act.

From time to time members of our Board, which we call a Steering Committee, may have conflicts of interest on various issues. Our policy is that Steering Committee members declare conflicts in advance and absent themselves from discussion and decision when such issues come before us. I can assure you that Pauline Couture has at all times done so when matters affecting CTV have come before us; for example, when we successfully opposed CTV's request to the CRTC to be allowed to retain SportsNet after its acquisition of TSN.

Had you been actively involved in our work over the past decade, you would have had to make a similar declaration when matters affecting Rogers, for example, or CanWest, or indeed other entities where you had a conflict been matters of consideration at our Steering Committee meetings.

We wish to thank you for your generous contribution of time and involvement during our formative years. Please accept our best wishes in your continuing distinguished career.

We are sending a copy of this letter to Matthew Fraser because we first became aware of your letter as a result of a call from a National Post reporter who had obtained a copy from Mr. Fraser.

Yours sincerely,

Noreen Golfman
Chair
Steering Committee
FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting

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Read Newman's letter of resignation