OTTAWA and TORONTO – Not surprisingly, Monday’s CRTC’s decisions were praised by industry associations like The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) and the the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC).
Noting that all players in the Canadian broadcasting system, including independent producers, have felt the impact of “these trying economic times”, CFTPA president and CEO Norm Bolen commended the CRTC for upholding broadcaster’s Cancon requirements.
“By maintaining current terms and conditions of licence, the CRTC has recognized the importance of Canadian programming and independent production in the Canadian broadcasting system”, Bolen said in a statement. “Any reduction to these obligations would have been a major economic and cultural step backwards from the many successes we have today.”
The WGC agreed, saying it was “pleased” that the CRTC denied broadcasters’ requests to reduce or eliminate priority programming as a way of weathering the current recession.
“Eliminating Canadian programming is not the solution for Canadian broadcasting; it is its death knell,” the WGC’s statement read.
Both organizations also applauded the Commission for proposing to make finalized terms of trade agreements with independent producers a pre-condition for a full seven-year licence-renewal application.
The WGC said that “defining a distinct rights market in which multiple exploitations of programs are compensated fairly will allow those who create successful programming the chance to see royalties”.
Bolen predicted that such agreements between broadcasters and independent producers will “provide stability and clarity to all concerned”.
“The CRTC has sent a very strong signal to broadcasters that it expects them to negotiate meaningful Terms of Trade agreements with the CFTPA in a timely fashion,” he continued. “Given the significant imbalance of power that exists between large, powerful broadcast groups and independent producers, the CRTC appears to have acknowledged that broadcasters need a strong incentive to get back to the negotiating table and come to an agreement that works for both sides.”
