Alberta's Minister of Culture and Community Spirit won't back down from his comment that Canadian television is "crap". However, Lindsay Blackett is admitting he could have found a nicer way to deliver the same message.

On Monday, during a question and answer session at the World Television Festival in Banff, Blackett made this statement about the Canadian television industry:

"I sit here as a government representative for film and television in the province of Alberta and I look at what we produce. I look at it and say, ‘Why do I produce so much (expletive)? Why do I fund so much crap?"

Members of the local industry say that was neither the time nor the place.

"That's the kind of thing you say to a small meeting of a group of stakeholders and say, ‘Hey guys, we need to up the ante here, we're not doing good enough' but at an international festival like that, to come out with that kind of comment is uncalled for," said Robyn Chetwynd.

Chetwynd has been working in Calgary's film industry for a long time. He says production and investment are down these days, which is why he finds the comments made by Blackett so surprising.

"I guess the initial reaction was shock and wonderment and why is the minister of the Crown who is supposed to be representing the Alberta film and TV industry making comments like that?" said Chetwynd.

Blackett has been defending his comments ever since he made them. He now says he could've picked a better way of getting his point across.

"I made an inappropriate comment and probably didn't express myself in the context that I wanted to, but at the end of the day, we're talking about better quality productions, better quality television and film, and digital in Alberta," said Blackett.

Blackett says he simply wants a higher standard set for productions requiring provincial funding.

However, opposition politicians say his comments are way out of line. Laurie Blakeman, Alberta Liberal Critic for Culture and Community Spirit, says Blackett should resign or be fired for his comments.

"I think if he is not interested in promoting the sector, he should get out. But to go somewhere on the taxpayers' dollar and then slag the people who work in it is unacceptable," said Blakeman.

Blackett says he won't resign. He also says his comments received a lot support and that because of his work at the Banff festival this week, at least five production companies will be opening new offices here in the next few months.