Canadian viewers deserve more than a choice of witless reality shows

Vision TV president and CEO Bill Roberts, who chairs the Trade Advisory Committee of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), comments on the impact that current developments, such as a cut in the government’s contribution to the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) and proposed changes in foreign ownership restrictions, will have on diversity of programming. Blind Date or The 5th Wheel? Trading Spaces or While You Were Out? American Idol or Popstars: The One? Surf your way through the dozens of cable and digital television channels, and it’s evident that Canadian viewers have more choice than ever before. But is choice the same thing as diversity? For all the proliferation of networks, there is now a dispiriting sameness to much of the fare on Canadian television. Where are the real alternatives? Where are the documentaries, dramas and comedies that tell uniquely Canadian stories and give voices from across this country the chance to be heard? Viewers craving content that fits this description find the pickings increasingly slim. And current developments may diminish their options even further. Finance Minister John Manley announced plans to cut the CTF by 25% over the next two years, further reducing the already scarce dollars available for domestic production. At the same time, Ottawa will increase (from 11% to 16%) the tax credits on labour costs that have been used to induce foreign film and TV producers to shoot in Canada. In fairness, it should be noted that the Finance Minister did elect to continue the CTF for another two years, and that tax incentives are available to Canadian productions as well. Nevertheless, for a government that has previously touted its commitment to supporting indigenous cultural and artistic expression, these changes are difficult to fathom. The result will likely be fewer opportunities to develop homegrown stories for Canadian screens. Which means that this country’s film and TV professionals will increasingly be confined to servicing the Hollywood production machine. Welcome to the great Canadian backlot. This is doubly unsettling because it comes at a time when industry consolidation is already threatening to compromise the richness and variety of programming on Canadian television screens. As we are all well aware, the prevailing tendency in the North American broadcast industry has been for the big to grow bigger. Here in Canada, a small handful of powerful companies – notably Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and CanWest Global Communications, along with Alliance Atlantis and Bell Globemedia – now rule the television realm. And though naysayers routinely dismiss both the extent and significance of media convergence, there is every indication that this trend will accelerate. There’s also a push underway for a major change in Canada’s ownership rules. During the recent hearings conducted by the House of Commons industry committee, cable providers called on Ottawa to lift the restrictions that prevent foreign companies from acquiring controlling interest in their firms. CanWest Global made a similar pitch on behalf of private broadcasters. In theory, the infusion of capital from outside this country would strengthen the domestic broadcast industry and ensure the continued availability of the kind of high-quality programming that Canadians desire. However, it is also possible to envision a less rosy scenario – one in which a small number of foreign conglomerates assume a dominant role in the Canadian marketplace and exert significant power over what we see on our TV screens. How much diversity of programming can we realistically hope for in such an environment? All of us have a stake in maintaining a healthy and competitive broadcast system, and this may ultimately require some degree of deregulation. But viewers in this country also deserve the chance to enjoy thoughtful Canadian stories told by Canadians. The challenge will be finding some way to balance these interests.

Canadian viewers deserve more than a choice of witless reality shows

Broadcast | April 10, 2003

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