OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s budget was criticized Monday by the arts community for not providing increased and stable funding to the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), Telefilm Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
While Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda announced last month public funding of the CTF would be extended for two more years, there was no increase.
“The Canadian Television Fund has not received any increases since 1996. The CTF desperately needs enhanced, long-term, stable funding,” said Stephen Waddell, national executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA).
He added the government’s failure to fund the film and television industry has threatened it given the inundation of foreign product into the country, partly as a result of the CRTC’s 1999 Television Policy.
“Canadian broadcasters pay among the lowest licence fees anywhere in the world and continue to make record revenues by airing cheap reality-style programming and simulcasting U.S. programming instead of Canadian drama,” Waddell added. “This government has to take this in hand and be responsible to make sure that Canadians don’t loose their cultural identity.”
The Canadian Conference of the Arts also criticized the budget for failing to have a long-term vision for the arts.
The organization had made several pre-budget recommendations to Ottawa, such as stable long-term funding for the CBC and the Canada Council.
The second budget for Harper’s minority Conservative government promised more money for the provinces and territories, incentives for environmental initiatives and some personal income tax measures.
The budget is likely to pass as the Bloc Quebecois is backing the Conservative financial plan, although the opposition Liberals and New Democratic Party say they won’t support it.
