The state of Canadian broadcasting, or, 'What do we have 10 years later?'
a) Distinctly Canadian today means the CBC:
We have a system that relies on CBC/Radio-Canada to provide a critical mass and
a wide range of distinctively Canadian programming, but does not adequately fund
it to do so. The federal government needs to restate, on a priority basis, that
the tenets in support of Canadian-oriented debate on social and economic values,
artistry, athletics, politics, multiculturalism, environment, and health and well-being,
are tenets fundamental to the Canadian social fabric. It would therefore follow
that bona fide educational and not for profit broadcasters, and other public cultural
organizations producing works to advance social debate from a Canadian perspective,
such as the NFB, are equally fundamental to this country's social weave. Consequently,
an appropriate space within the broadcasting system should be allocated for this
purpose.
The CBC may have culturally relevant Canadian programming as its raison d'être; it cannot be made to be the Canadian channel-by-default. The CBC must be a stronger voice for more and more diverse Canadian-produced programming, but must be one voice among many.
b) Specialtycasting growth, Cancon stunted
Specialty channels, as an aggregate, are capturing more viewers than any conventional
channel, yet their offerings are on average only 40%-50% Canadian. The lower Cancon
requirement was established for reasons of viability. Canadian content levels
could be higher, considering most analog channels' rapid progression to profitability.
In one analysis, consultant Robert Armstrong noted that all English-language services
launched in 1995 "were profitable by their third year of operations, and
Life and WTN were profitable in their first year. Six of the 10 services that
launched in 1997 were profitable by their second year of operations (the last
year for which data is publicly available). Finally, of the three new English-language
specialty services launched in the fall of 1998, MuchMoreMusic and Treehouse were
profitable in the first year of their operations." (1)
c) Channels multiplied, programming range divided:
We have a more limited range of quality Canadian programming than the Task Force
report or the amendments to the Act intended, despite a multi-channel universe.
Programmers, to a certain extent, cannot or will not devote the imagination necessary
to vivify their program schedules with a mix of content and packaging formats.
Predisposed to buy bulk in lieu of consistent quality, few programmers brand their
schedules with innovative thinking.
The similarity in the types of program offerings, no doubt caused by market pressures, has resulted in fewer Canadian one-off, full-length documentaries, short docs or short dramas being broadcast to indigenous audiences over the past five years (2). This same study demonstrated that 70% of licence fees for documentaries through the Canadian Television Fund comes from pay and specialty channels, which means documentaries now get lower licence fees and smaller audiences.
d) Cultural diversity? Anyone?
We have a system that does not fully allow the reality of the cultural diversity
of this country to be represented. Thanks to the CRTC we do have APTN on basic
cable, but some local market applications for multilingual stations have been
met with frustration. The regulator has issued regulations on cultural diversity,
but the system does not truly or readily reflect the wide range of people and
voices Canadians encounter every day. To correct this under-representation space
should be made available on a new public tier that would have to be part of the
basic package offered to subscribers by cable and digital providers.
e) English choices across the country, French choices only in Quebec
We do not yet have a system affording an acceptable range of choices to its French-speaking
citizens outside Quebec. Although English services span the country delivering
specialized programs across a range of niche interests - from channels on women
to history to home-and-garden to health to spirituality and on and on - this diversity
is not available to francophones outside Quebec.
f) Canadian content bonuses - where less can be more!
Recent changes to the CRTC's Television Policy - which took effect in September
2000 -- increase the opportunity for broadcasters to count culturally dubious
programming toward their Canadian content requirements. In addition to offering
a 150% Canadian content bonus to 100% Canadian programs aired in primetime, the
new policy also applies a 125% credit to six- to nine-point Canadian content shows,
or those which include as little as 60% of the Cancon criteria. This provision,
combined with the Commission's move to stop regulating minimum Canadian content
spending, means we see less culturally relevant, distinctive or significant programming.
g) Broadcasters online: when togetherness is a virtue
We have no unified broadcasting approach to providing services online. Each broad-
and specialty-caster has "done its own thing" on the Internet; therefore,
we are missing opportunities to make a great big noise as a group. We must consider
suggesting to broadcasters that they voluntarily work together on certain initiatives
en masse, to show the world the power and innovation of Canada's conventional
and online content, promotion, technological leadership and more.
h) Bigger is not necessarily better in a small market like ours
Explicit public policy and implicit approvals have facilitated and strengthened
vertical integration of large groups at the expense of small and medium-sized
players. Every time a small, creative force - be it a dot-com, a production company,
a cable company or a broadcaster - reaches modest market penetration, or turns
the heads of audiences and competitors, they are quickly bought or merged. This
trend to "corporatization" in the entertainment industry threatens to
homogenize content created for, and consumed by, the public.
i) New technologies = new have-nots
For consumers, the distinction between conventional television and specialty channels
is meaningless, as most Canadians receive their signals through cable or satellite.
The evolution to digital media for production purposes has simply reduced the
divide between film, television and the Net. Convergence, that is, the combined
use of television and the Internet, will have a greater impact on TV viewing habits.
However, the discrepancies between the haves and the have-nots, in terms of Internet
access and in-home computer use, are greater than the discrepancies between those
who have access to television and cable as the entry barriers are higher (cost,
knowledge base).
j) What's not on TV is on the NET
The Broadcasting system has not yet been disrupted as a whole by the advent of
new media, but it is increasingly luring viewers, especially teens and young people,
and encouraging advertisers to follow. Meantime, as the Internet components of
media undertakings improve what they offer, they simultaneously undercut their
own ad bases (as in line extension), and thus the resources allocated to TV licence
fees. This means content producers have to lower their production costs and values
as well as investing in personnel and expertise to create web-friendly content.
Technology -- new media, digital production and post-production, digital signal compression and transmission -- none of these enablers can substitute for the quality of information, education and entertainment programming Canadians have come to expect. Public institutions such as the NFB and CBC must encourage the government to be certain the Broadcasting Act does not allow bottom-line interests to supercede the need for content integrity, craftsmanship and national relevance on the public airwaves.
k) Globalization, at what price?
Globalization means that domestic producers, with declining access to licence
fees at home, more often need to partner with international coproducers (some
of whom have access to local tax incentives) to finance projects. In order to
qualify for foreign financing, however, and to ensure foreign sales, the project
concept must be adapted to meet the criteria of all participating territories.
It is vital that Canadian producers fully exploit international coproduction opportunities.
It is equally important that the Broadcasting Act recognize both the
exigencies of production financing and encourage producers to be sure these "copros"
continue to provide a Canadian perspective.