TORONTO – While viewers and broadcasters outside the eastern time zone might be used to some prime time variances, those in the largest Canadian markets sure aren’t.
This week, broadcasters in Canada began thinking about what they’ll do with their prime time scheduling if the time of day in our country and the United States is off by an hour for a month every spring and fall.
A few days ago, U.S. legislators approved a new energy bill (which still must face additional government hurdles there) which would extend daylight savings time so that Americans would turn their clocks ahead on the second Sunday in March and then back on the first Sunday of November. Traditionally, daylight savings time runs from April to October.
Proponents of the move say the extra two months will reduce energy consumption. Canadian government officials have not said whether they’ll go along with the move and that they’ll study it.
But having to air U.S. simulcasts at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. rather than 8 p.m.? “Being out of synch with the U.S. in the eastern time zone is not a good thing,” Global Television’s Barbara Williams, senior vice-president, programming and production, told www.cartt.ca today.
“If we had our druthers, we would not like to be out of synch.”
While reports earlier this week suggested the change in daylight savings time would happen this fall, additional reports on the Internet, print and radio are now saying it won’t be implemented until 2006 or even 2007.
Canadian broadcasters are taking a wait and see approach because, as Williams added, “This is a bigger issue than just television. There are lots of discussions still to come.” Airlines, trucking, the auto sector – all would face significant confusion.
But while we in the eastern time zone might fret about prime time shows airing at odd times, it’s something those in Alberta, the Prairies and the east have become used to, depending on where they get their broadcast feeds from.
“This happens in many other provinces now,” added Williams. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, where the feeds come from the west, “they get Survivor at seven rather than at eight… So, it does happen in other places, we’re just not used to it happening here, but because of the size of the market affected, it’s important.”
But, if Canada does not match its daylight savings time shift to the Americans, any hourly difference in the east would only be temporary, which would be odd, she added. “If it’s just a few weeks of Survivor at 7, that would be a pain.”
– Greg O’Brien
