Federal Government Announces Media Funding
Heritage Minister Combines Three Television Funds into One
Mar 11, 2009
The Canada Media Fund unites the Canadian Television Fund, Canada New Media Fund, and the Aboriginal Television Fund. The total is $134.7 million annually over 2 years.
Evening the Playing Field
The new funding is intended to even the playing field between the publicly funded CBC, and its privately run competition by eliminating $112 million in funding set aside for CBC funding. The fund is set up to encourage more creativity amongst Canadian broadcasters, and make content more widely available across more Canadian platforms.
Guidelines for the fund include measures for a fully independent board of directors. The board will be made up of federal government appointees as well as the five largest private donators. It will focus on developing the type of programming Canadians want to see across several platforms. In remarks published in the Financial Post, Moore acknowledged the future: “Canadians want quality content, and they want it at their convenience… iPods, streaming, and online, and on demand programs.”
Industry Reaction
Industry reaction to the government’s proposal has been mixed. Its predecessor, The Canadian Television Fund, was criticized by many cable providers for funding unpopular television shows. This caused cable providers Québecor, and Shaw to threaten stopping making payments to the CTF. The Canada Media fund proposes to focus on shows that will draw higher ratings.
Québecor welcomes the changes. In comments published on msnbc.com, company President and CEO Pierre Peladeau applauded the decision saying: “We now have reason to think that the necessary conditions will be created to promote the development of a strong, and creative production industry that is capable of claiming a place in what has become a fiercely competitive international environment.” The company looks forward to working on the new fund.
It’s also met with criticism from the Canadian Actors Union (ACTRA) over the size of the board of directors. The major networks would control at least five of the seven seats. In comments published by Canadian Press, ACTRA Executive Director Stephen Waddell wondered if someone from the creative community would get a seat: “At the very least we would hope that one of the remaining seats would be reserved for a representative from the creative community.”
The Director’s Guild of Canada has concerns making multiple platforms a condition. In comments published by Canadian Press union representative Brian Anthony wondered if it would limit the ability to work in New Media instead of conventional television: “ Does this oblige them to marry up with what we’re calling ‘legacy media?’ I don’t know. Does it in other words limit the ability of people working in new media to continue to do so?”
The CBC greets the fund as a positive development. In comments published by the Globe& Mail the network’s Executive Vice-President In Charge of English Programming wasn’t worried about losing funding: “I think the government’s direction is right, I think they’ve demonstrated this actually can be done… and so long as the detailed rules are right, I think that it’ll be very good. If it does go (the funding) we won’t be concerned about losing the envelope.”
