New channels should help push the industry closer to an all-HD universe

It says a lot about the state of high-definition television programming in Canada when a new broadcaster can launch its first two channels and automatically become the nation’s HD leader. But that’s exactly what happened when High Fidelity HDTV Inc. launched Treasure HD and OasisHD on Bell ExpressVu earlier this month. By broadcasting nothing but true high-definition programming around the clock on its two channels, High Fidelity moves past Canada’s only other all-HD offering, Discovery Channel’s Discovery HD, in terms of HD content – not to mention the piecemeal HD channels available. "The whole reason we’re in this business is because we feel fundamentally that Canadians want more HD than is out there so far," John Panikkar, co-founder of High Fidelity, tells Canadian Communications Reports. "Most of the incumbents, specialty and conventional, are easing their way into HD. They’ve sort of got one toe tentatively dipped into the water, and we of course have jumped in completely with both feet." Along with partner Ken Murphy, Panikkar is planning to add two more channels – Adrenaline HD and Meridian HD – to High Fidelity’s line-up this spring, pending CRTC approval. The Category 2 specialty channels (CCR, July 22/05) will require 15% Canadian content in their first year, 25% in year two, and 35% beyond that. Panikkar is confident they’ll easily meet the standards. Programming will begin on a repeat wheel, but High Fidelity is actively producing some of its own content and will be looking to co-produce and acquire more, which all should help change the landscape of true HD production in Canada. "The more channels the better," says Michael McEwen, president of Canadian Digital Television (CDTV). "I think that Canada has a huge deficit of HD-produced content." According to McEwen, about 5% to 7% of all Canadian content is currently being produced in high-definition, well behind what is now being done in the US. He says falling too far behind in HD programming will prolong the transition to an all-HD Canadian broadcast landscape and result in lost viewers to American shows. "In the early days of the transition I think it was probably acceptable to say to a viewer, ‘Look, we’re getting there, give us some time, we have some product,’" continues McEwen. "As the Americans increasingly march towards analog shutdown and a full distribution of HD services and they increase the range and depth of that content, unless we’re doing the same thing here we’re just going to alienate and annoy people." High Fidelity’s belief in the demand for HD prompted it to make the outlay for full HD production, which, although the cost has dropped significantly over the years, is still a steep investment. But as the chicken (there has to be demand to meet the cost of production) and the egg (there’s not enough programming to invest in an HD set) get older, something has to give. Marc Séguin, VP, feature film and new technology at the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), says demand for HD content now outpaces production. The association sees HD as a necessity for Canada to stay competitive on a world scale, so like McEwen, Séguin feels it would be very dangerous for the production sector to fall too far behind. "With respect to Canadian content, if we don’t increasingly produce in a format and a quality that consumers demand and, as a result, broadcasters demand, then we’ll have a hard time supplying ," he says. "And if we have a hard time supplying, the money dries up. If the money dries up, our industry collapses." The CFTPA sees three challenges that high-definition television must overcome: a lack of awareness in the production community about HD and its benefits; lack of financing to help Canadian production companies get HD productions off the ground; and the lack of a proper regulatory structure to speed the transition to HD. The organization is currently in talks with Heritage Canada to develop a Cancon HDTV strategy to address these barriers, including holding free seminars across the country to all those involved in television production. Séquin notes that everyone involved – from set designers and make-up artists to directors and producers – will be affected by a switch to high-definition. As more broadcasters turn to Canadian HD content, the CFTPA is hoping they won’t be doing all of their work in-house. "We would very much like to see HDTV services commissioning work from independent producers and building and developing a solid relationship with respect to supplying quality content," says Séguin. The lack of true HD content available to Canadians has been a barrier in itself to converting viewers. Many believe that the best way to sell HD is to let consumers actually experience it, and High Fidelity’s channels will increase this sales pitch for all broadcasters. Panikkar describes Treasure HD as being about beautiful objects and interesting people and OasisHD as nature, natural history and landscapes. The visual nature of both channels will help act as a showcase for the technology. "When you’re shooting a work of art in high-definition," he says, "it’s as if you’re standing in front of it in the museum. You couldn’t do that in standard definition." "The thing about HD is the pictures are dazzling and you can still get a lift from somebody tuning into programming they wouldn’t ordinarily watch just because of the beauty of HD," Panikkar continues. "We’ve chosen channels carefully to maximize the value and the beauty and the aesthetic of having pictures in high-definition without forgetting about the story-telling." Additionally, OasisHD is commercial-free, making it 100% HD all day, every day. Aside from Discovery HD, other high-definition channels available in Canada broadcast only some of their shows in true HD, while the rest are up-converted from standard definition, something CDTV’s McEwen says is a "viewer turnoff." In what basically amounts to false advertising, HD channels that show high quantities of up-converted standard-definition programming do little to entice Canadians to buy high-definition sets. That being said, McEwen says about two million HD sets have been sold in Canada, but only about 200,000 to 225,000 are hooked up to HD service. Clearly Canadians are anxious to experience HD, but "you have to ask yourself ‘why aren’t they hooking up?’" he says. "They either don’t perceive the availability of HD channels, which is an issue, or they find that the costs of those hookups are a barrier in themselves for what they are getting." Those who do buy the sets and the service are likely to spend more time watching American sports and programs like Desperate Housewives and CSI as they wait for more high-profile Canadian content to be broadcast in HD. McEwen offers up CBC’s move to begin broadcasting Hockey Night in Canada in HD as possibly the best example of bring popular Canadian content to the masses in HD, adding we need more such signature programming. The popular Canadian sitcom Corner Gas is shot on film, which converts to HD almost seamlessly, and it’s rumoured that TSN is eyeing sometime in 2007 to have an all-HD broadcast. Hopefully this will urge others to follow suit. Panikkar, who personally pays the premium for TSN HD because it broadcasts CFL games in high-definition, was able to use himself as a guide when getting into HD broadcasting. "I sort of think of myself as a prototypical HD consumer because I go looking for HD," he says. "So I’ve got to believe there are a lot more Canadians like me who want more and are expecting broadcasters to do more and so far a lot of broadcasters haven’t stepped up to the plate."

New channels should help push the industry closer to an all-HD universe

News | 03/24/2006 5:00 am EST

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