TORONTO – CTV, Canwest Global and CBC officially announced late Sunday they have joined together to launch a national campaign, dubbed “Local TV Matters”, aimed at striking back at Canadian BDUs and putting pressure on politicians and the CRTC in advance of the November Commission hearings which will again analyze the challenges facing Canadian broadcasters, including the contentious fee-for-carriage issue.
“Our viewers are telling us that local television is very important to them and to this country,” said Paul Sparkes, CTV’s executive vice-president of corporate affairs, in the group’s official press release. “Canada’s broadcasters are responding to our viewers’ concerns by launching this campaign that reinforces the importance and value of local television in all regions of Canada.”
The Local TV Matters campaign includes an official web site – www.localtvmatters.ca – and advertising across Canada on the dozens of channels owned by the companies involved.
“Along with informing Canadians about the issues, the campaign is also aimed at setting the record straight about misinformation cable and satellite companies are telling their customers,” reads the release.
“Cable and satellite companies are attempting to disguise their own self interests as our viewers’ interest,” says Charlotte Bell, Global’s senior vice-president of regulatory and government affairs. “We are concerned that Canadians are being misinformed by cable and satellite companies, specifically about the additional costs these companies are choosing to unnecessarily pass onto our viewers.”
“One of the campaign’s concerns is that cable and satellite providers continue to charge viewers for our services, yet they pay nothing to local television stations,” reads the release, which does fail to mention other regulatory facilities like simultaneous substitution, and basic mandatory carriage.
The release also notes “Canadian cable companies pay U.S. cable channels in excess of $300 million a year for their services, and these cable channels are not required to produce any Canadian content. The campaign members are standing up to change this system because they believe local stations deserve fairness so viewers can continue to enjoy local television programming now and in the years to come.”
“We encourage viewers to visit www.localtvmatters.ca to learn more about how they can support their local stations,” added Steven Guiton, CBC’s chief regulatory officer. “In a country as large and diverse as Canada, it is important for our viewers and the local communities in which they live to have a voice.”
As for that site, it recognizes that something new has to be done.
“We all recognize that without a new business model, the future of local television for Canadian viewers is at significant risk,” it reads, noting that four local stations that collectively serve nearly eight million Canadians sold for a total of $15 (CHCH-Hamilton, CJNT-Montreal, CKX-Brandon, CHEK-Victoria) and that CHCA Red Deer has closed.
“It’s clear Canada’s traditional local TV model is no longer viable,” reads the site.
“What’s unsettling is that… cable companies pay nothing to local Canadian television stations where the money is needed most…while still charging you for the service! Imagine working hard to produce a product only for someone to take it, sell it, make a profit and pay you nothing for your hard work. This basically sums up why we have asked the CRTC to change how we do business with the cable and satellite companies. They should pay for what they use,” it continues.
The site also offers links to the CRTC and a clickable form letter to users MPs, which will also copy Heritage Minister James Moore.
