Fate of documentary sector rests with group-based licensing proceeding, DOC says

The Canadian documentary sector is “in crisis” and its fate is in the hands of the CRTC’s group-based licensing policy, the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) told commissioners at a hearing in Gatineau Wednesday. “The combined impact of the financial recession, genre creep, lack of documentary commissioning, and the consolidation of Canadian broadcasting services have created the perfect storm, which has decimated the Canadian documentary industry. The sector is experiencing job losses, massive drops in production volume, declining regional production, less access to funds, and fewer windows,” Lisa Fitzgibbons, executive director of the DOC, told commissioners. “Our members are distressed and it is their opinion that the outcome of this proceeding will decide the fate of the Canadian documentary sector.” The commission is in its second week of hearings to renew the broadcasting licences for large broadcasting groups. The new group-based policy gives broadcasters more flexibility and the ability to meet Canadian content obligations across a variety of broadcasting assets. Among other conditions, the group licensing policy requires broadcasters to spend at least five per cent of revenues on “programs of national interest,” which covers Canadian documentaries, dramas, and awards shows. The DOC told commissioners that the volume of English documentary production annually is now three per cent lower than it was in 2000-2001, when it amounted to $191 million, and 20 per cent lower than its 10-year average of $231.9 million. “Since its peak in 2006-07, English documentary production has fallen every year by an average of 15 per cent,” Fitzgibbons said. “Clearly, if the policy is to meet its stated objective of supporting programs that serve the national interest, regulatory action must be taken.” Fitzgibbons said broadcasters’ interest in documentaries has waned unjustifiably. She said the CBC’s programming slot for documentaries on Thursday nights has garnered successful audiences, reaching nearly one million people when “aggressively promoted.” One-in-two documentaries watched in Canada is Canadian when only 14 per cent of dramas viewed are Canadian, Fitzgibbons said. “If documentaries are predictably scheduled, audiences will show up and consistently return,” she said. Fitzgibbons said the DOC supports the commission’s new group licensing policy because it provides broadcasters with more programming flexibility and ability to promote some genres over others. But instead of a five per cent requirement for spending on programs of national interest (PNI), she said the requirement should be based on “historical expenditures,” which should include a baseline of 30 per cent for documentary production. The DOC also proposed that 20 per cent of PNI spending for conventional television stations go to documentaries. “Although some broadcasters argue that such a requirement is superfluous or impedes the flexibility in the system, it is our view that without regulatory action, broadcasters will commit the minimal amount necessary to documentaries, as has been witnessed over the past several years,” Fitzgibbons said. Also appearing Wednesday with the Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters (or CAFDE), Brad Pelman, co-president of Canadian film distributor Maple Pictures, said the group opposes Rogers Communications Inc.’s application to be relieved of obligations related to Canadian film. Pelman added that Corus Entertainment Inc.’s Movie Central channel should not be included in the CRTC group-based licensing framework because the move would “run the risk of diverting rare and desperately needed programming dollars away from feature films into other genres.” Bell Media, and Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. are scheduled appear with their reply comments Thursday. Corus and Shaw Media Inc. are scheduled to reply on Friday. Film and production groups also told commissioners Wednesday that they support the Canadian Media Production Association’s (CMPA) call on the CRTC to hold a separate proceeding to consider ways that the broadcasting industry can better support Canadian feature films. Peter Moss, chair of the Youth Media Alliance, added that Canadian children’s and youth programming should be included in the definition of programs of national interest. “It is astonishing to us that ‘awards shows’ have been singled out as a special category of programs of national interest, taking precedence over programs that encourage the appreciation of Canadian culture and values by our children and youth,” he said. news@thewirereport.ca

Fate of documentary sector rests with group-based licensing proceeding, DOC says

Broadcast | April 13, 2011

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