CCR Short Takes

CAB questions CRTC on conventional viewing targetsThe Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) calls the CRTC’s proposed goal of increasing the hours of viewing of English-language Canadian drama to 16.5% of all TV drama viewing on conventional networks, or an 80% increase from current levels, over five years "unrealistic." The association also disagrees with the commission’s expenditure target of an 80% increase over five years to 6% of total revenues earned in order to access the regulator’s ads-based incentives. Instead, the CAB is pushing for a 40% increase in both expenditures and viewing (CCR, Aug. 19/05). "The CAB submits that an 80% increase in viewing over a five-year period is unrealistic and unlikely to be attained," writes the association’s senior VP of policy and regulatory affairs David Keeble in an October 25 submission. The CAB further points out that after 50 years of effort by broadcasters, producers and governments, Canadian TV drama draws a stable 11% of total drama viewing across the system. Instead, the CAB recommends a target of 15%, or an increase of 40%. "Applying this 40% increase to the conventional sector, the CAB submits that English-language conventional stations that wish to access the incentives should be expected to increase the hours of viewing that they attract to English-language Canadian drama from the current industry average of 9.2% to 12.9%," states the submission. As well, the CAB has suggested "a 40% increase in viewing is a more reasonable and attainable industry objective for the incentive program and submits that while there is no direct relationship between viewing and expenditures, for the expenditure incentive to be attainable by broadcasters a similar range of expectation would be appropriate." In terms of the specialty TV market, the CAB agrees with the CRTC that each channel should be dealt with on an individual basis under the incentive program. While the CRTC did not identify an overall objective for this segment of the industry, the CAB suggests that each specialty service should aim for an annual increase in viewing of 1.5% for channels wanting to access the ads-based incentives. The CAB filed its comments in response to the CRTC’s call for comments on its proposed viewing and expenditure incentives for English-language TV drama. Sirius teams with Score Media on sports channelStandard Broadcasting and Score Media on October 27 announced that they had inked a deal to provide a 24-7 all-sports radio station for Sirius Satellite Radio’s licensed but yet-to-launch subscription satellite radio service. The radio channel, called The Score, will be included as part of Sirius Canada’s programming package. The full program schedule, which will be announced in the upcoming weeks, will feature Score Media’s TV personalities. "The addition of an all-sports Canadian channel reinforces the amazing lineup of sports play-by-play and information currently available on Sirius throughout North America," said Sirius Canada president and CEO Mark Redmond. "Adding The Score to our roster of high-quality programming helps us serve a growing segment of customers that want the latest sports news on demand. Radio panel at CAB convention to look at tariffsThe Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Radio Business Forum at its convention, running November 6-8 in Winnipeg, will be devoted to the Copyright Board of Canada’s recent decision to raise the royalties that commercial radio stations pay for the use of music from 2003 to 2007 (CCR, Oct. 24/05). The panel will address implications of the decision, answer questions, and review the action plan the association is proposing. The session, which is open only to CAB members, will also debate other copyright issues, such as the transfer or medium rights and the proposed amendment to the Copyright Act through Bill C-60. CRTC to move ahead with radio reviewThe CRTC is moving ahead with a review of its commercial radio policy, as stated in a November 4 letter to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB). The CAB had requested a further delay in the review until the effects of the licensing of subscription radio could be better evaluated (CCR, Oct. 7/05). The CRTC "considers that a review of the Commercial Radio Policy is timely and that any further delay would not be advisable, especially given the many technological and other changes taking place and the impacts they may have on the radio and music sectors," states the CRTC letter. The radio review was due to take place in 2003, but was put off by CRTC chair Charles Dalfen because subscription satellite radio had not been licensed and the digital radio rollout had not progressed very far. CTF told to stop discriminating against TorontoThe Canadian Television Fund (CTF) must stop discriminating against Ontario and Toronto, say the City of Toronto, Toronto’s film board and the industry association Film Ontario. The bone of contention, according to an October 24 media release issued by the three parties, is that the CTF is promising broadcasters a larger share of its funds if they agree to produce their shows outside of Ontario. The group refers to this as a "less visible policy" than the CTF’s previous strategy that until two years ago offered producers cash incentives if they took their productions outside of Ontario. "The time for these kinds of federal policies is over," says Film Ontario co-chair and executive director of Association of Canadian Radio and Television Artists – Toronto (ACTRA) Brian Topp. "Whether or not it ever made sense to dismantle a significant share of Ontario’s film and television industry and to transfer it elsewhere, that job has been done." Raptors NBA TV launches HD version of channelRaptors NBA TV launched a high definition version of its channel on Bell ExpressVu on November 1. The channel’s executive producer John Shannon says that there will be as much as 80 hours of HD programming a week on Raptors NBA TV HD. Between 10 and 15 NBA and NCAA games will be broadcast in HD for about 30 hours of HD programming during the first four months of operations, with that amount increasing to 60-80 hours by March 2006. Subscribers to NBA TV will have access to the HD version of the channel. CRTC denies CanWest’s Montreal station on ethnic programmingThe CRTC has denied a request by CanWest MediaWorks Inc. to allow its CJNT-TV Montreal station to reduce the amount of ethnic programming it broadcasts to 50% from 75% between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (Broadcasting Decision 2005-530). The regulator did, however, approve a request for an amendment that allows the station to delete annual requirements to serve a minimum 25 different ethnic groups in 25 different languages, along with similar monthly requirements. The revision requires CJNT-TV to service not less than 18 distinct ethnic groups monthly and broadcast programs in not less than 15 different languages monthly. CRTC commissioner Stuart Langford dissented on the decision, calling it "unnecessarily rigid." Cultural diversity petition adopted by UNESCO The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was adopted at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) general conference in Paris on October 20. The convention aims to ensure that all countries have the right to enact cultural policies and to exempt their cultural sectors from international trade agreements. Only the United States and Israel voted against the convention, and four other countries abstained. Before a special screening of CTV Inc.’s TV movie about Louise Arbour in Ottawa on October 25, Canadian Heritage minister Liza Frulla waxed lyrical about the fact that the convention had been adopted. Although the concept is one initiated by former Canadian Heritage minister Sheila Copps, Frulla in May attempted to educate other countries about the importance of the convention (CCR, May 30/05). The Banff Rockie Awards being rebrandedThe Banff Rockie Awards are being rebranded as the Banff World Television Awards, it was recently announced. The awards will be given out at the next Banff World Television Festival, running June 11-14.

CCR Short Takes

News | 11/07/2005 5:00 am EST

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