Canadian Heritage minister’s comments on Canada New Media Fund create confusion

Industry observers are scratching their heads over comments made recently by Canadian Heritage minister Sheila Copps to Canadian NEW MEDIA on the future of Telefilm Canada’s Canada New Media Fund that might indicate a broad restructuring of the fund is on tap. Depending on how Copps’ response to a rumour circulating in the industry in the early part of this year on a potential hiatus for the fund is interpreted, the minister might be indicating that Telefilm is seeking ways to reduce paperwork, or that it’s seeking better integration with such popular funding sources as the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund. In the aftermath of Copps’ forum on copyright held during Junos Awards week, she said: "I think what they’re probably looking at is how they integrate it with other new media funds. Because when we started off with the television fund, at that time there were three different funds and so we took the view that when you’re making investments in the cultural sector, (it was important to) try to make them as transparent as possible, as reasonable as possible, and as open as possible. "And with the new media fund, for example, that Bell Globemedia has in place , there’s a new media fund in place as well with Telus , there’s also a new media fund in B.C. – all of which were requirements that we put in place for the licensing system. So, with those different systems, we want to find a way to make it as simple as possible for the creators of new media to know what the systems are. We’re looking more at eliminating duplication." She added later in response to another reporter’s questions about cuts to the Canadian Television Fund (CTF): "In actual fact, when the CTF was established one of the things that we did at the time was that we said that as the private sector contributions grew – because what we did was merge the old cable fund and the Telefilm money in a similar way that we’re (now) looking at with the new media funding. Instead of having different producers go to different funds, let’s find a one-stop fund and make it work for everyone." In 1997, Heritage merged money from the Cable Production Fund and Telefilm Canada to create the CTF and Copps’ comments indicate she may be looking to that model in revamping Telefilm’s new media program.But the proposal hasn’t crossed the desks of new media producers with whom Canadian NEW MEDIA spoke or the heads of other funding groups or with Telefilm officials responsible for guiding the fund. Earl Hong Tai, western regional director and new media sector head for Telefilm, says he’s currently concentrating on convincing the department to renew the fund when its current three-year mandate is over. "I think that the biggest point that we need to focus our attention on is to start the conversation with Heritage to get this fund renewed…We haven’t started the conversation. We’re looking at our internal process. We still have to deal with the April 29th deadline, so that’s where attention is focused. "We’ve had an internal, what we call the new media summit, which is all the new media staff from across four Telefilm offices got together and talked about what our ideas are for the future. We need to sit down and actually develop a coherent, intelligent business plan to bring forward to Heritage. And, of course, we need to communicate this plan to an advisory group tentatively scheduled for June and get the industry involved in what our ideas are and at that point, maybe firm up a business plan for the Heritage ministry… "It’s no secret that we could use a lot more money. I don’t think it’s a big secret that’s integral to our game plan. This is presenting a business plan to Heritage. So that’s my priority. I think that a year from today if we have this conversation and we can come out and say that the CNMF has been renewed for significantly more money, that would be a huge success." Hong Tai says Telefilm is currently reviewing its programs to reduce some duplication and streamline the application process. He says that the federal agency hopes to make it possible for producers to apply online for funding through a now-in-development initiative called the Extranet. But, he says, the number of different requirements to apply to different agencies is minimal in Canada. "The television side has lots more funding sources. the new media side, there’s really only three main players on the funding side, so it’s not as large a quagmire as it is in television." Canadian Heritage could be stepping into a minefield if it wants to integrate the Canada New Media Fund with, for example, the Bell fund. In 2001, television industry players were divided on proposals contained in a report by François Colbert and David Silcox to remove governance functions in the CTF from Telefilm’s hands. The debate was partly sparked by a call by the Auditor General to review the way television and film production funds were handled. At the time, industry players were calling for more power in the hands of the CTF’s private-sector board over Telefilm’s government appointees. In 2001, the CTF’s board was boosted and Gary Toth was named CEO to bridge the Equity Investment Program (Telefilm) and Licence Fee Program (CTF) components of the fund. Further changes were put on the back burner pending long-term funding for the CTF. Should a merger be contemplated between any of the country’s private-sector funds and Telefilm’s Canada New Media Fund, producers, generally unanimous in their support of the Bell fund’s management, would likely oppose the move. But the Telefilm fund, working to meet cultural objectives set out by the Canadian Culture Online Program administered by Heritage, might be a poor fit for private-sector management. Bell fund executive director Andra Sheffer says no conversations about tighter integration between the two organizations has been initiated.

Canadian Heritage minister’s comments on Canada New Media Fund create confusion

News | 04/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

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