CRTC to undertake broad study of Canadian TV drama, says Charles Dalfen

The CRTC will release details of a comprehensive review of Canadian television drama by month’s end, according to commission chair Charles Dalfen, who has made increasing the amount of domestic drama that is shown and watched on TV one of his main personal goals. "We’re planning to issue a public notice on the entire question (of drama), and not just the reports on drama (by Trina McQueen and Guy Fournier that were commissioned by the CRTC). We’re going to be calling for comments beyond that," he tells Canadian Communications Reports in a wide-ranging interview. "I think the initial comments will probably be in writing and that’s our normal practice. If there’s a need for some follow-up proceeding, we might have an oral hearing." The development is good news for the coalition of audio-visual unions that was bitterly disappointed by McQueen’s report, which focused on broadcaster incentives rather than regulatory measures as a means to boost the amount of Canadian television drama. The coalition wants a public process to ensure that its views aren’t ignored, as it claims they were in the McQueen study (CCR Update, March 19/03). "There are regulatory tools that people can put forward. But the aim will not be, in effect, to give a critique of McQueen’s report, per se. We’re trying to focus on the issue of having more Canadian programs that attract viewers," Dalfen says. "It’s a question of how we get there. It could be a culmination of things but there are constraints of licences that are in place. We have to factor all that together to try to come up with something. …It’s safe to say that we’re still grappling with the problem (despite past regulatory measures, such as conditions of licence that included spending requirements). I guess the onus is on anyone putting forward regulatory or incentive measures to, in a sense, demonstrate or persuade us about how effective they’ll be. At the end of the day, regulation is a means, not an end. The end here is to get Canadian programs on that people want to watch." Some industry analysts predict that the process could evolve into hostile criticism of the 1999 TV policy that changed the definition of priority programming and eliminated expenditure requirements on Canadian programming for the large TV networks. The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) argues that these changes have resulted in decreased incentives for producing high-end drama. Dalfen cautions that the TV policy was aimed at a wider set of issues. "I think that this is the way we look at it. (Drama) has been a longstanding problem. The TV policy came along not necessarily to address only this but a whole range of issues from ownership issues, benefit (packages), advertising, and covered a whole swath of things," he notes. The CRTC chair cautions that there are a range of other measures that affect drama that are beyond the commission’s control. For example, the CRTC isn’t responsible for administering the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), it doesn’t set CTF guidelines, nor can it control the amount of money funneled into the industry through Canadian Heritage, either through funds or tax breaks. "As a sector, as a country, (the desire to increase Canadian drama) is not something that I see in any way as being adversarial. Nothing I’ve seen in a year and half (as CRTC chair) gives me any reason to think that. It seems to be the primary issue in the system that we all agree could use improvement," Dalfen notes. While he can’t control the other agencies and institutions that have an influence on domestic drama production, he adds, "I want to do two things. One is to make sure that we don’t fail to act because others haven’t gotten their act together. But at the same time, I don’t want us to be seen to be taking full responsibility for this because we can’t." Dalfen has publicly proclaimed that he would like to see a few Canadian drama shows in the top 10 most-watched programs in the country before his term ends in 2006. Despite the momentous challenge, he remains optimistic that’s a possibility. "I’d love to see that," he says. "You know if you had asked me the same question about Canadian novels five years ago, the situation didn’t look the same as it does now. Recently, we had three competitors for the Booker Prize, and a winner." He adds, "It’s really hard to say how this will go. I would personally like to be able to be part of - and believe me that is all we can ever be - what it takes to boost Canadian drama. I think there is a will out there. …Some people had said it’s a hopeless goal, but nobody’s said it’s a bad goal." The CRTC, however, has taken some heat for a recent decision that protected the CTF, the main source of funding for Canadian drama, but is bound to hurt other independent funds. The commission called for the establishment of a local programming fund as part of a deal allowing satellite TV distributors to carry out-of-market TV signals. It ruled that satellite TV distributors couldn’t divert funding from what they currently contribute to the CTF, but could from other funds. The decision led to protests from producers, such as those in the new media field, who could find their funds cut by up to 40% (CCR, Aug. 22/03, July 31/03). But Dalfen defends that decision. "Naturally, when something gives, you feel you can’t do everything all at once. We’ve responded to a number of letters from people that we have not said with that decision that these funds can’t continue at their present level of funding at all. If the parties that sponsor them wish to continue to fund them that would be super. But what we have permitted is for certain funds to be diverted. But it isn’t compulsory and it doesn’t stop the parties from sponsoring those funds." The CRTC chair isn’t opposed to non-drama programming, such as Canadian Idol, because he sees it generating interest in Canadian shows. "What we have failed somehow as English Canadians - and it may be that our tastes have been set for so long by American shows - is generate viewing to Canadian shows," he points out. "But at the same time I think we can get excited about Canadian programming. I mean Canadian Idol is not drama, but it has created excitement about Canadian television and to me that’s not a bad thing. It’s something to build on. If young kids are excited about appointment television, I think that’s the kind of noise you want to share in." Dalfen notes that Canadian drama is a priority for him not just from a national identity perspective but also because it creates an infrastructure in the country for other production. "In doing drama, all the trades and guilds are engaged - actors, writers, producers and so on. It creates experience and jobs and the ability to have a bit of infrastructure in the country that you can build upon and rely on." A second article based on the interview with CRTC chair Charles Dalfen will be published in the next issue of CCR.

CRTC to undertake broad study of Canadian TV drama, says Charles Dalfen

News | 09/18/2003 4:00 am EDT

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