Dear Editor,
IN A SPEECH DELIVERED to the Economic Club of Toronto on November 7 and published on Cartt.ca the following day, CBC Television Executive Vice-President Richard Stursberg touted the value and necessity of offering Canadian content in the midst of a television landscape increasingly dominated by American programming.
We at Alliance Atlantis agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Stursberg’s belief that “when Canadians are offered Canadian programming that is done well they will respond with enthusiasm and in large numbers” and that “Canadians will watch home-grown programming when it is beautifully made, engaging, and designed for them, when it is rooted in their sense of humour, their values, their lives, and their history.”
Nonetheless, I feel obliged to respectfully disagree with Mr. Stursberg’s comment that the CBC is the “only national network broadcaster in English Canada that is in any position to be able to do that effectively with Canadian material.” To Mr. Stursberg’s assertion that the CBC is “the only broadcaster where deep prime time… is actually available for Canadian shows,” I offer this observation: Monday to Friday, 7 – 10pm, Alliance Atlantis’ Showcase airs 100% Canadian content during prime time. No other broadcaster can boast this level of Canadian content, not even the CBC.
With a prime time schedule including such original Canadian programs as Billable Hours, Rent-A-Goalie, Slings & Arrows (Winner, Best Dramatic Series — 2006 Gemini Awards; co-commissioned with Pay TV), and Trailer Park Boys, Showcase has proven that compelling original Canadian comedy and drama not only have a place on Canadian television, but given the correct commitment and opportunity to connect with and engage an audience, those programs have the potential to thrive. Over the past year alone, Alliance Atlantis networks have spent approximately $104 million on Canadian programming by commissioning or acquiring more than 2,000 hours of content from more than 130 independent production companies across the country.
At Alliance Atlantis we share Mr. Stursberg’s commitment to Canadian television, a commitment that we realize in the exceptional television content we provide to Canadians each and every day.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Yaffe
Chief Executive Officer
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.
Toronto
