Mr. Stuart Switzer:

As a producer who is a member of one of the larger companies, I need to run to its defence. We are a conduit for new talent to emerge, flow through our business, get experience at the real coalface of broadcasting and move on to form their own companies with their own particular interests. That has happened on many occasions. People have joined us as interns, come through college or started at the bottom of the industry. Within a few short years, they have worked their way through and I now see their names on screens everywhere in various roles from producer to director to production manager, etc.

I take the Senator's point that on the surface it seems overly dependent on the 12 big companies. Those companies have significant track records. However, 70% of the money spent on TV goes on labour, talent and people. I hope that addresses the Senator's point.