Bell Fund chair asks CRTC to change small market fund formula, CTF eligibility

Below is an edited version of a submission from Paul Hoffert, chair of the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, tendered as part of the CRTC’s review of the regulatory framework governing the over-the-air television broadcasting system. In it, Hoffert notes that a small market fund created in 2005 competes with the Bell Fund and other independent funds for resources, and this competition has hindered independent TV and new media production. He also urges the regulator to relax criteria requiring that projects submitted to the Canadian Television Fund have a pre-commitment from a licensed broadcaster. ...The traditional understanding and definition of "programs" is evolving to include content available in places other than television screens and to include content with which the audience can interact. These new forms of "programming" also generate new revenues. Therefore, any measure of audience size or any funding allocated to or derived from programming, must include these alternate platforms and formats. The regulatory framework for OTA television licensees must consider this "bigger picture." High-quality Canadian programming is found in new places, and at new times. Expenditures on Canadian content for alternate platforms by OTA licensees must be recognized as investments in Canadian programming. New platforms for television, such as Apple Inc.’s iTV video iPod, and sophisticated cell phones will have a significant impact on viewer, producer, and broadcaster behaviours. Webisodes and mobisodes created for computer and mobile phone platforms, as well as other new program formats will become the incubators and drivers of new television programs. The eligibility requirements for CRTC-approved funding through CTF and private funds should therefore be revised to include television projects whose first exhibition window may not have an OTA or other broadcast licence. Such programming should, however, require expressions of interests from OTA or other BDUs to license the eventual broadcast versions of these programs and/or to participate in their funding. Four independent funds (Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, and The Harold Greenberg Fund) have been adversely affected by CRTC decisions establishing a small market fund (CRTC Public Notices 2003-37, 2003-257, 2003-258) as detailed in our letter of May 11, 2005, with the result that less money is available for production of Canadian television programs, films and new media content with significant niche audiences. The CRTC should review this inequity and adjust its formula for DTH licence contributions to the Small Market Local Programming Fund to reflect its original intent to direct $3.6 million annually to the small market fund. Such clarification or change would have the impact of significantly redirecting contributions to the four private funds, which by all measures successfully contribute to the production of important new and high quality Canadian OTA programming. The future of Canadian content lies not only in traditional Canadian television programming but in content designed for many other platforms of distribution. The CRTC’s recognition that funding is required for "content" and encouragement of new sources of financing for this content is essential for the progress and competitive well-being of the Canadian media production industry.

Bell Fund chair asks CRTC to change small market fund formula, CTF eligibility

Broadcast | October 18, 2006

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