Cultural groups urge commission not to fall for ‘more U.S. programming’

Canadian writers, directors and performers warned the CRTC Friday not to heed the broadcasters’ call for more “flexibility” in the licence renewals, saying that the word is just a synonym for “more U.S. programming.” “Broadcasters are asking for even more flexibility than the 2010 TV policy granted them, trying at every turn to minimize their obligations to Canadian programming—particularly programs of national interest,” Writers Guild of Canada’s (WGC) executive director Maureen Parker told the commission Friday. “In our experience, ‘flexibility’ is broadcaster code for ‘more U.S. programming.” The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and the WGC appeared before the commission Friday as part of its hearings on licence renewals for large broadcasting groups. The CRTC issued a new group-based licensing policy for large, private broadcasters last year. All three groups expressed their support for the new policy and CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein credited the WGC with the policy change. “You convinced us that this 1999 policy was mistaken,” he said. “That’s why we changed it to this new regime of CPE and PNI so as to make sure it works.” But all three groups exercised caution in their endorsements of the policy, warning about the “devil in the details.” While the cultural groups accepted the policy’s 30 per cent expenditure requirement for Canadian programming, they were unanimous in seeking to double the five per cent requirement for programs of national interest spending to 10 per cent. Canadian drama, documentaries and awards shows count as programs of national interest. WGC policy director Kelly Lynne Ashton said the five per cent PNI figure was based on data for drama programming only, excluding the documentary and awards shows that also fit into the category—a point made Thursday by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA). Ashton contested presentations made earlier in the week from Shaw Media Inc. and Bell Media Inc., saying Shaw had reclassified “as reality shows programs previously reported as documentaries” to reduce its programs of national interest requirement from nine to five per cent. She said Bell is changing its business model to get away from Canadian drama. “Locking in at five per cent on PNI makes it easier for to spend money on variety programs like So You Think You Can Dance Canada—shows that no longer qualify as supported programming,” she told commissioners. “But the policy was created to provide support to the hardest-to-finance shows, like dramas and long-form documentaries.” Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s executive director, expressed similar concerns about where the policy’s flexibility could lead, saying it could result in conventional broadcasters not playing any dramas in prime time. “The fact is if conventional broadcasters are not actually required to put drama on their schedules, broadcasters will be tempted to relegate it to their specialty services, leaving prime time wide open for U.S. simulcasts,” he said. “And they will keep meeting their Cancon obligations with inexpensive, reality-style programming.” He suggested creating a requirement for over-the-air broadcasters to air two hours of Canadian programs of national interest in prime time. Speaking for the WGC, screenwriter Cal Coons warned commissioners that the flexibility of the policy would lead to loosening genre protection. “So if they get their way, instead of a variety of original Canadian and foreign programming, we will get last year’s House on History , Showcase and Twist TV,” he said. Echoing the CMPA’s comments before the commission Thursday, the DGC requested that pay TV be excluded from the group licensing policy on the grounds that increased flexibility would have negative consequences for Canada’s feature film industry. Referring to a 2009 Telefilm Canada study that found 92 per cent of broadcaster financing for Canadian feature films came from pay TV services, DGC president Sturla Gunnarsson said that “the potential consequences of having 100 per cent spending flexibility for pay TV services is too great to justify their inclusion.” Gunnarsson asked that, if pay TV is included, they be treated as conventional stations and given 25 per cent flexibility on spending requirements rather than a full 100 per cent. On Friday commissioners again questioned the profitability of Canadian drama, with the cultural groups pointing to the successes of programs such as Rookie Blue and Flashpoint, which draw 1.8 and 1.3 million viewers, respectively. “So if Canadian programming, specifically drama or scripted works, are that profitable, why do we have to hold a gun to broadcasters’ heads for them to go through with that?” commissioner Tom Pentefountas, the vice-president of broadcasting, asked. The WGC said Canadian programs can be profitable, but American programs are more so. Von Finckenstein asked whether funds should be directed to promotional activities, given the disadvantage Canadian programs face compared to their American competition—a point frequently raised. “Are we missing something here by only going after spending, and not going after promotion?” he asked . ACTRA replied that the issue is a difficult one that it continues to work on. mburgess@thewirereport.ca

Cultural groups urge commission not to fall for ‘more U.S. programming’

Broadcast | April 8, 2011

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