‘Music videos don’t really distinguish MuchMusic anymore’: CTV

Cultural groups are lining up at the CRTC to oppose CTV Inc.’s application to reduce MuchMusic’s obligations to air music videos and Canadian content. “You saw in the interventions how the music industry collectively feels about this,” Duncan McKie, president and CEO of the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), told The Wire Report. He pointed out that the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) are among the groups lining up against CTV’s application at the CRTC. All of the groups have filed comments with the commission expressing their opposition. “I think its one of first times in a while that all those organizations have said, ‘We just can’t support this.’” In place of devoting 60 per cent of the broadcast week and 50 per cent of evenings to Canadian programming, CTV has requested reducing MuchMusic’s Cancon requirement to 55 per cent of the broadcast year. CTV has also asked that MuchMusic’s music-related programming obligations be reduced from 100 per cent to 75 per cent. The remaining airtime would be devoted to other types of programming such as “lifestyle” shows aimed at young adults. "Cutting MuchMusic's commitment to music-related programming from 100 to 75 per cent is a major shift,” Stephen Waddell, national executive director of ACTRA, said by email to The Wire Report. “MuchMusic was created to deliver real music videos and music programs. And no matter what CTVglobemedia says—Paris Hilton reality shows and Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn't 'music-related programming.'" CTV and MuchMusic say the changes are necessary in an evolving media landscape where music videos can be accessed online. “We need to evolve with our audiences. We need to evolve with the music industry and we need to think of new and creative and entrepreneurial ways of connecting with our audience,” Brad Schwartz, senior vice-president and general manager of the Much MTV Group, owned by CTV, said in an interview. “Music videos don’t really distinguish MuchMusic anymore,” Schwarz said. “So what we need to do is to invest in programs that provide new and original music content.” Stephen Stohn, president of Epitome Pictures and executive producer of the popular teen-oriented show Degrassi, said he supports the CTV application. “We know that people just don’t get music videos the way they used to,” Stohn told The Wire Report. “To have a service that is aimed at engaging teens and young adults through music and say to them, ‘Oh, by the way, you have to spend half of your time playing music videos,’ it just doesn’t make any sense, because we know that videos can be accessed instantly on demand … and you don’t sit around and wait for it on the dial.” Mario Mota, vice-president of broadcasting policy and regulatory affairs with the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), said he agrees that MuchMusic needs to adapt to a new media environment, but said the channel should continue to support Canadian productions. “We recognize that it might make sense for the commission to allow MuchMusic to diversify a little bit,” Mota told The Wire Report. “However, what’s MuchMusic going to give to the Canadian broadcasting system in return?” Many groups also questioned the timing of CTV’s licence application. Alain Pineau, national director of the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA), said the process to renew broadcasting groups’ licences is expected to begin in the fall. “I don’t think they would suffer all that much if we waited until then to discuss this in the open,” Pineau said. “We believe that there’s a serious enough discussion here that it should not be taking place through a written process.” MuchMusic’s broadcasting licence is set to expire in 2013. CTV said in a response to interventions, filed with the CRTC Monday, that it must act as soon as possible to keep up with changing viewing habits. The broadcasting group licensing process will allow the CRTC to consider all properties owned by a company at the same time. Broadcasters are expected to submit their applications for licence renewals in November or December and a CRTC hearing is expected around the spring of 2011. Pineau and others from the cultural groups have also criticized MuchMusic’s proposal to cut its contributions to MuchFACT by half, from seven per cent to 3.5 per cent of gross revenues. MuchFACT, a fund formerly known as VideoFACT, supports Canadian music video production. MuchMusic is the only contributor to the fund. The cultural groups argue that the fund represents a public service. But CTV says it is not a public body and that the contribution reduction would correspond with the company’s proposal to reduce the number of music videos it airs. “We’re still committed to spending 33 per cent of our revenues on Canadian content,” Schwartz said. He added that the funds cut from music video production would be redirected to other programming. Riley O’Connor, the chairman of Live Nation Canada, a live concert promoter, said he supports the proposed cuts to MuchFACT. “There’s this big thing in Canada about getting private industry to make funding available for artist funds and things like this,” O’Connor said in an interview. “I’m not a big proponent of it. My feeling of it—and I’ve been in this industry for 35 years—is that if you’re talented you will be noticed and I think talent deserves to rise to the top.” jmigneault@thewirereport.ca

‘Music videos don’t really distinguish MuchMusic anymore’: CTV

Broadcast | July 7, 2010

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‘Music videos don’t really distinguish MuchMusic anymore’: CTV

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