Canada, Quebec eye new channel to showcase French-Canadian productions

The Quebec and Canadian governments are looking to establish a new television channel that will showcase French-Canadian productions at home and abroad. The channel proposal emerged during negotiations that will see control of the U.S. and Latin American markets of TV5 Monde transferred from Montreal to Paris beginning August 1 (CCR, March 14/01). To be called TV5 Canada Québec International, the new service will be a complementary service to the existing TV5 Monde, an international channel backed by the governments of Canada, Quebec, France, Switzerland and Belgium that is available in 148 countries on five continents and reaches an estimated 129.2 million households. Krista Pawley, press secretary to Canadian Heritage minister Sheila Copps, says a portion of the $7.6-million contribution currently made by the federal government and the $4.85-million made by Quebec to TV5 Monde would be reallocated to Canada’s new channel. The government expects TV5 Canada Québec to be initially available in Europe and Africa, in addition to Canada. Pawley says it has not been decided yet if the government will try to launch the channel in analog or digital, or a combination of both. "A new Canadian channel will be a unique opportunity for the Canadian Francophonie to promote its creativity and its cultural richness on the international scene. It will provide an exceptional showcase for Canadian French-language productions and for all the artists in our Francophonie," says Copps. Charles Vallerand, TV5 director of communications and marketing, says the idea of having a "boutique of services" under the TV5 name has been around since the original TV5 Monde was created in 1984. If TV5 Canada Québec goes ahead, it could be the first of several TV5 sub-channels. Other possibilities would be a TV5 service devoted to French-language children’s programming or an all-Swiss channel, he adds. "The original plan when we discussed the formation of TV5 was that there was not enough French-language programming. The idea was to beef up what was on offer through TV5 by forming sub-channels, which would offer daily programming in a particular area on a repeat cycle," says Vallerand, who worked at Canadian Heritage when the TV5 idea was being discussed and negotiated. He thinks that TV5 Canada Québec is a viable channel, especially given that Canada has a reputation for excellence in news and documentary programs as well as children’s shows. Another benefit, he says, is that the channel can be broadcast from existing TV5 Monde broadcast facilities in Montreal. Pawley says the government expects to develop partnerships to launch the new channel, including with the private sector, such as producers of French-Canadian programs, and with public broadcasters such as tfo, Télé-Québec and Radio-Canada. "We have received Cabinet approval to begin the process of establishing such a channel. …It would be a unique initiative in that it would incorporate both the private and public sectors, including both governments (federal and Quebec)," says Pawley. Part of the criticism of the TV5 Monde operation was that Canadian productions were shown on the European feed late at night or early in the morning when there were few viewers. But Pawley says part of the deal to transfer the Latin American and U.S. markets of the main TV5 channel to Paris includes getting better play for Canadian productions on that service. "Better quality at better times" is what Canada is expecting for its programming on TV5 Monde, according to Pawley. She notes that 20 of 60 jobs in Montreal associated with TV5 Monde will go to Paris as a result of the transfer, but that "with the creation of the second channel, there will actually be a positive job factor for Canada and creators in the Francophone television industry." Translation of programming into Spanish, currently being done by freelancers in Montreal for the Latin American market, will not move. It is unclear if the technical aspects of subtitling will remain in Montreal, as the software used there is different from the system used in Paris That agreement has reassured the Fédération nationale des communications — a union representing the majority of Quebec’s print, radio and TV workers, — which feared job losses and a decrease in the visibility of French-Canadian programming around the world. "Quebec and Canada did what was necessary to protect the strategic position of Montreal in the French-language television industry and also the jobs there," says Pierre Roger, secretary general of the Fédération nationale des communications.

Canada, Quebec eye new channel to showcase French-Canadian productions

News | 07/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

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