MONTREAL – Canada’s English and French-language producers say they are determined to reach a fair deal with television networks as each side prepares to make their case on a new deal for program rights across a variety of platforms and media.
Tomorrow, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFPTA), which represents the majority of English-language independent producers, is slated to sit down with CTV, Canwest Global and Rogers to begin negotiating so-called “terms of trade” negotiations – framework agreements aimed at defining and valuing program rights. These framework agreements would apply to individual negotiations between broadcasters and producers for program rights – something that producers say they hope will alleviate the “severe imbalances in negotiating power” caused by broadcaster consolidation.
“Canadian independent producers are united in their determination to negotiate terms of trade agreements that will ensure a sustainable independent production sector in this country,” says Claire Samson, president and CEO of the Association des producteurs de films et de television du Québec, the organization that represents the majority of film and independent production companies in Quebec.
“We fully support our English-language production partners in their negotiations with both the private and public English-language networks,” he adds in a statement released today.
The CRTC has mandated that all broadcasters negotiate terms of trade with English and French-language independent producers. While the CFTPA will handle negotiations with the English-language private networks, the public educational networks outside Quebec, and the CBC, the APFTQ will be entering into talks with the private French-language networks TVA and TQS, the TV5 and Astral specialty channels, as well as with the public broadcasters, Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec, later this fall.
“The challenges that independent producers face, whether in Quebec or the rest of the country, are essentially the same,” said Guy Mayson, president and CEO of the CFTPA. “The core issue for all of us is ensuring that the program rights that independent producers license to broadcasters are properly defined and valued. We believe that this is best achieved through terms of trade, which would help mitigate the imbalance of negotiating power that currently exists when individual independent producers negotiate program deals with broadcasters.”
Last week, the CFTPA announced that Gordon Ritchie, one of the principal architects of the Free Trade Agreement, had joined their negotiating team. His appointment reflects the high stakes with which independent producers view the upcoming negotiations.
“We regard this as the most important negotiation that either of our organizations has ever entered into,” stated Samson. “We will marshal all of our collective efforts to ensure they are successful, for both the good of our sector and to the benefit of the entire broadcasting system.”
The CFTPA is a non-profit trade organization that works on behalf of almost 400 companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films, and interactive media products in all regions of Canada. The independent production sector directly or indirectly employs more than 61,000 people in communities across Canada.
The APFTQ represents the vast majority of film and independent production companies in Quebec. It represents and defends the interests of its members with governments and film- and television- related organizations.
