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HOLD BROADCASTERS TO CANADIAN CONTENT AND LOCAL TV PROGRAMMING OBLIGATIONS, COMMITTEE URGES CRTC

Ottawa, June 19th, 2009—The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) applauds the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage for taking a firm stand on the importance of maintaining Canadian content and local programming obligations at this uncertain time in the history of the Canadian broadcasting sector.

MPs from all political parties today reaffirmed the importance of maintaining Canadian content and local programming obligations and called on the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to address the growing discrepancy between foreign and Canadian program spending by conventional Canadian broadcasters.  The report, entitled “Issues and Challenges Related to Local Television” supports the CFTPA’s position that television broadcasters must not be permitted to decrease their commitments to Canadian content or to the independent production sector.

During the course of the hearings broadcasters argued the conventional television business model is broken.  Many of the broadcasters blamed structural problems, declining ad revenues, audience fragmentation and the current economic downturn as reasons to reduce their commitments to Canadian priority programming and independent production.

“It is not Canadian content expenditures that are dragging down the broadcast industry right now,” says Norm Bolen, President and CEO, CFTPA.  “Broadcasters should look at what they are really spending money on.  Last year the over the-air broadcasters in Canada spent $775 million dollars on foreign programming, most of it American and only $54 million on producing Canadian drama.  Broadcasters have also been on acquisition spree that has led to significant debt loads and unprecedented consolidation in the broadcasting sector.”

Today’s report also urges the CRTC to consider the impact of broadcast ownership concentration at the next round of licence renewal hearings in the spring of 2010.  As the CFTPA has highlighted in many proceedings, the high degree of concentration in the broadcast sector has resulted in broadcasters engaging in certain acquisition practices with respect to Canadian programming that severely undermine the independent production sector.  We have suggested several measures or safeguards to mitigate the potential for such behaviour, and look forward to working with key stakeholders in finding effective solutions that address this situation.

While the CFTPA also appreciates the Committee’s recommendation that the government must ensure independent producers have access to the Canada Media Fund, we believe the Fund should be dedicated to supporting only programming that is created by independent producers.

The CFTPA is a non-profit, trade association representing almost 400 companies in the Canadian production industry. The association promotes the general interests of Canadian producers by lobbying government on policy matters, negotiating labour agreements, and offering mentorship programs and copyright initiatives.

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For further information please call:

Anne Trueman
Director of Communications & Media
Canadian Film and Television Production Association
Tel: 613 233 1444 ex 227 | Web: www.cftpa.ca