CALGARY – Proposed changes to bylaws coming at next week’s annual general meeting of the Canadian Television Fund "seems to fly in the face of common sense," says a tersely-worded letter sent Friday by Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw to the fund’s chair Douglas Barrett.
Shaw noted that while Star Choice received notice of the meeting, Shaw Communications did not and that after looking at what the organization has planned for the June 12 meeting during the Banff World Television Festival, "(w)e were surprised that you and the board of the CTF have decided to pursue an aggressive and purposeful agenda of by-law amendments," reads Shaw’s letter.
With the CRTC in the midst of examining the fund, it seems odd that the CTF would be looking to make such changes, writes Shaw. "It seems to fly in the face of common sense and simple stakeholder decorum that the board of the CTF would , at this stage of its controversial evolution, seek to tighten its internal focus by making amendments that would require a double majority of existing board and independent members on undefined ‘major decisions’, seek to fill vacancies from within its ranks, and continue the CTF’s current unacceptable limitations on contributor board members – in particular,
direct-to-home satellite providers.
The reason the CRTC is examining the fund is due to many complaints about it, most recently by Shaw and Quebecor Media, both of whom pulled their funding from the CTF in protest of how it is run and the programs it chooses to back.
"We fail to understand how you and your board can ignore the fact that the whole CTF structure and governance model is under review by the CRTC, that concerns have been clearly expressed by stakeholder groups about issues like representation and inclusiveness in decision making, that very pointed issues have been raised about financial control and accountability and finally, that the whole mandate of the CTF is subject to growing controversy," Shaw continues.
"To attempt to tighten your inward focus at this stage by amending your by-laws seems unilateral if not inflammatory."
The actions, says Shaw, proves "(t)he governing body of the CTF does not listen to its many stakeholders.
"What you are doing with the AGM demonstrates that the CTF does not consider itself accountable to the outside world. Your attempt to further solidify your tight control by a self-interested few is further proof, if we needed it, of your unwillingness to engage in real and meaningful change," he continued.
"It has only heightened our resolve to seek a radical change in the way that Canadian consumers’ valuable dollars are spent to achieve the goal of improving Canadian content and showcasing Canadian talent to Canadians and the rest of the world – a challenge which the CTF has failed miserably to achieve."
A story in this morning’s Globe and Mail, however, characterizes Shaw’s reaction to the AGM as an overreaction and that the changes planned are just "housekeeping."
