Shaw Rocket Fund calls on CRTC to re-instate priority status for kids programming

You've heard of gateway drugs - well how about gateway programming? The Shaw Rocket Fund argues that starting children early on a diet of high-quality Canadian programming can turn them into lifelong Cancon consumers. But first, as the CRTC will hear at next month's BDU and specialty review, the commission needs to take steps to reverse the 27% decrease in Canadian children's programming over the last eight years. "If our kids know it's good Canadian programming while they grow up, they'll want it when they grow up," says Agnes Augustin, president of the Rocket Fund, which in nine years has invested more than $65 million in 289 independently produced Canadian children's programs. "Even the CRTC made a comment a few years ago that children who watch Canadian children's programming and are proud of it will likely watch more Canadian programming as they become an adult." However, the CRTC statement Augustin is more interested in reviewing came in 1999 when the commission removed children's programming from the priority programming list as part of its policy framework. Without a regulatory obligation for broadcasters to commission kids shows, production in the genre dropped from $386million in 1999 to $273 million in 2006. Although spending on children's programming rebounded to $337 million last year, Augustin says the financing did not come from the regular streams, which means there's no guarantee it will be there again this year. Last year's increase may put the Rocket Fund in a difficult position when it appears before the commission though. The CRTC removed kids programming from the priority list in part because it felt there was a sufficient business case for broadcasters to continue airing the genre. Even though it took eight years, the commission may have been proven correct. "Market forces are great, but they fluctuate," says Augustin. "We do very well in the international marketplace, and children's programming continues to be strong, it's fantastic. But we feel there's a responsibility to ensure we can continue to do that for this audience group." Case in point is the lack of children's programs aired by Canada's conventional over-the-air broadcasters; in it's submission on the April hearing the Rocket Fund notes that with the exception of the CBC, Canada's OTA services no longer air kids programs. The fund is therefore urging the commission to reinstate children's programming in the definition of priority programming at appropriate viewing times for the children. The Rocket Fund is also asking the CRTC to allow its primary financer, Shaw Communications, be allowed to increase its annual allocation to the fund from 0.6% of its revenues to a full 1%. Augustin says this would result in an additional $3 to $4 million, which could help finance up to 15 additional programs a year. "We just feel we're in a position right now where we could do a lot with that for the Canadian children's production industry," says Augustin. One thing the Rocket Fund wants to do is put some money behind multi-platform kids content, and it will subsequently be lobbying the commission for permission to do that as well. "The way these funds are set up are to fund television programs, and there's been such a shift over the last few years with multi media and various platforms that we'd like to be able to look at other platforms as well." However, with big-ticket issues like à la carte channel selection and fee for carriage likely to dominate the hearings, the concern exists that children's programming will get short shrift. "There's always the concern when it comes to kids programming frankly," says Augustin. "That's one of the reasons we decided a few years ago to become more active because we feel that children's programming is always considered to be less of a priority. So yes we have concerns about that and we're pleased that we're able to go and present and we hope that we'll have a good shot considering that the allocation and expenditure policies will be reviewed. We're definitely hoping that kids programming will make some headway with that for sure." In case the Rocket Fund needed an additional boost in publicity, it will fortuitously be announcing the winner of the fourth annual $50,000 Rocket Prize on April 28, two days before the hearings are schedules to end. The three finalists for the prize, Cookie Jar Entertainment's Johnny Test, Shaftesbury Films' Life With Derek and Sinking Ship Entertainment Inc.'s Roll Play, were selected by a jury of the five of the top buyers around the world and are now being voted on by fourth, fifth and sixth graders from across Canada. Augustin is hoping the announcement will help make an additional impression on the commission. "We had that date picked a while ago, and it's really quite interesting how that worked out," she says.

Shaw Rocket Fund calls on CRTC to re-instate priority status for kids programming

News | 03/28/2008 2:33 pm EDT

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