OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC today approved Bell Media?'s application to redirect certain tangible benefits in a package that Bell inherited when it purchased CTVglobemedia Inc. in 2011.
The Commission did not receive any interventions regarding this application. As part of its decision however, the Commission told Bell it expected the company to keep its promise to redirect the tangible benefits predominantly to third parties, such as independent producers.
The tangible benefits, which the Commission says must be fully expended by 31 August 2014, will be redirected as follows:
Support to Canadian dramatic series, limited series and extensions of drama series will increase from $8.2 to $28.5 million as a result of the following decreases in other initiatives. This includes:
- Support to drama and movies-of-the-week that explore the themes of Canadian music and entertainment (decreasing from $5.1 to $0.2 million);
- Support to high-end performing arts, visual arts and performance programs (decreasing by up to $13.2 million, from $13.2 million);
Financing of live music events featuring Canadian acts held to raise awareness and/or funds for worthy Canadian charitable causes (decreasing from $3.4 to $1.2 million).
The remaining funds to be allocated to the Manitoba Association of Media Literacy ($10,000) will instead be devoted to the Jesuit Communication Project (JCP). Bell noted that it was informed by the MAML in 2010 that it was no longer operating since the media literacy mandate in the province had been adopted by the provincial government of Manitoba and implemented through its public education system. The JCP was regarded as being the most appropriate beneficiary of these funds because it also serves the mandate of furthering media literacy.
