YES, A MUST-CARRY TV license is not the lottery win it once was and yes, making a linear ethnic programming service in various languages work as a business within the Canadian TV system has always been a challenge which has only grown more difficult of late.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t people who think they can make a national ethnic TV channel work. In fact, including the incumbent, there are eight companies with some pretty bright ideas.
OMNI has long been the mainstream ethnic channel, serving up a mix of Italian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi and other programming over the years. A decade or so ago, this was well funded with the ad dollars brought in airing strips of The Simpsons and other synidcated reruns between 6 and 8 p.m. and shows like the Star Trek: The Next Generation at 11, once the third language programming ended.
However, advertisers long ago abandoned buys for that sort of programming, leaving OMNI struggling for its life. In fact, if the CRTC hadn’t granted the temporary regional must-carry application in 2017 with a short three-year license and a promise to the industry that others can apply for the license (hence this hearing), Rogers would have closed up shop.
The hearing set for October 15th will probably be the last regulatory beauty contest, where Rogers fights to continue on as OMNI and seven others try to convince commissioners its proposal is better. The winner, whomever it is, can launch in 2020.
An intriguing application is Voices, from Ethnic Channels Group. Its proposed price ($0.23 per subscriber per month) and number of languages in which it plans to broadcast are similar to the other applicants, but it’s key point of difference is that it aims to broadcast its programming in multiple languages simultaneously in order to “encourage understanding and inclusion among the different diverse communities residing within Canada,” says the company. So, for example, a Chinese family would be able to access Arabic programming in Chinese, notes the company.
This wouldn’t be achieved with some brand new software, but through the technology already deployed in the industry which feeds described video content.
“The key difference between ECGL's proposal and the existing use made to deliver described video content is that BDUs may not wish to offer the content on the same numeric channel – with separate audios accessed through the remote control device (as described video is now offered),” explains its application.
“Rather, it may be technically simpler for the BDU, and easier for the consumer, to offer the same video feed with separate audio feeds on different assigned numeric channels within the EPG channel lineup. We note this method results in the use of no additional bandwidth by the BDU beyond what would typically be used to distribute a standard television programming service. The assignment of different channel numbers to the different language versions of the service does not require the distribution of multiple video feeds.”
Voices proposes:
- Serving 25 languages a month by year four, but starting with 10 in year one.
- 40 hours/week of local or regional news and information
- 75% of the broadcast day and 85% of prime time (6 p.m. to midnight) will be Canadian content.
- 90% of its programming will be third language ethnic.
- 60% of revenues will be spent on Canadian programming and 80% of its shows will be news and information programming.
- It will have three feeds – Western, Central and Eastern.
- A well-developed digital strategy, including active social media accounts, additional programming like podcasts and its own mobile app
- It will create a national multicultural awards show.
The ace-in-the-hole for Rogers Media, OMNI’s owners, may well be the fact it still operates over-the-air transmitters with the current iteration of OMNI – and its application says if it wins the new license, that won’t change. That of course means it will remain available free, off-air, to anyone, whether they subscribe to pay TV or not.
“One of the core aspects of this application and one of the key benefits it will provide to new Canadians is that it will ensure our local OMNI stations can continue to operate and provide free access to news and information and other programming via OTA television transmission. Specifically, the revenues OMNI Regional receives will help support the infrastructure that will be used to create local and national news and information programming. The programming on each regional feed will largely mirror the programming on the relevant OTA station,” reads the Rogers submission.
However, the company also noted in its application: “Perhaps the most critical challenge to OMNI’s long-term viability has been and continues to be the fact that linear television is no longer the primary medium by which new Canadians integrate into Canadian society. A recent study prepared by Oath and Group M demonstrated that mobile devices and digital media use is key to newcomers and that subscriptions to Canadian television services are less of a priority.”
Rogers proposes:
- To keep doing what it’s doing with four regional OMNI channels, but will serve up programming in more languages than it does now, if it wins the license back.
- It will serve 20 languages and ethnic groups per month in the West, Prairies and East, and 15 languages and 18 ethnic groups in Quebec
- 55% Canadian content overall with 50% in prime time and a cap of 10% on U.S. programming.
- Its Canadian programming expenditures would rise to 50% of revenues, 20% more than it is now.
- 80% ethnic programming will feature six daily 30-minute newscasts, seven days a week, in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog and Punjabi.
- It would continue to work with Fairchild, CHIN and ICI Montreal for programming.
- Six hours of “locally reflective” news programs each week from Vancouver, the Prairies and Ontario.
- New ethnic programming from and for Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada.
- A wholesale fee of $0.19 per month, rising to $0.21 by year five.
- A mobile app which would be authenticated to a BDU subscription.
Buried in Bell Media’s OurTV proposal is research that puts somewhat of a damper on this pursuit. It filed a report from Armstrong Consulting which examined the state of the ethnic market in Canada and parts of that reveals these applicants (and every other TV channel owner) must deal with a declining subscriber base that shows no signs of rebound.
The report says 11 million Canadian households paying for some form of traditional subscription television service in 2017, but predicts that number falling by to just 10 million by 2024, going from 75% penetration to 65% penetration when all the missed newly created households which don’t subscribe are factored in.
So while each of these applications make many promises, they are being delivered to a declining market.
Bell Media proposes:
- A $0.25 wholesale fee.
- 100% ethnic programming with a minimum of 50% third language and 70% Canadian content.
- A 60% CPE rate
- To provide ethnic programming to at least 20 different groups and languages.
- A focus on news and information with six national newscasts in Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi, Spanish and Tagalog.
- Two feeds
- A serious digital focus including making all news programs available on demand, a mobile app configurable to a users’ language, engaging social media, etc.
- Third language news programs with access to the national and local resources of CTV News.
A joint application from Asian Television Network and Telelatino called CanadaWorldTV cleverly features a supply and services agreement with the CBC, focuses on providing on demand video to its audience and promises to treat all language groups equitably.
“Scheduling less commercially viable linguistic groups’ programming in non-peak viewing times on a scheduled linear channel has and does engender feelings of ghettoization and perceived irrelevance with those communities,” reads its submission. “We believe in an egalitarian scheduling protocol that sends a message to all Canadians we consider everyone equally important and worthy of showcasing.”
CanadaWorldTV also promises:
- A subscriber fee of just $0.12 per month.
- CBC news and information in at least 20 languages, potentially. “CanadaWorldTV could have access to fully produced current affairs content for versioning. The CBC may license content which could include a selection of well known programs such as Power & Politics, On The Money, Marketplace and the Fifth Estate,” says the submission.
- The possibility of going over-the-air with CBC through digital subchannels where it “can explore to offer the linear feed of the video as a digital subchannel on (the CBC) OTA television feed. The benefit will be additional reach,” says the submission.
- A minimum of 60% Canadian content both overall and in prime time, with 100% ethnic programming, 60% of that in third language.
- With a focus on being equitable, no language group would consume more than 16% of schedule time.
- A 10% maximum on U.S. programming.
- Not to solicit local advertising for its single national feed.
- A robust video on demand service which will also feature programming not found on the linear channel.
- To service at least 20 linguistic groups and ethnic communities, with the expectation that the brand will actually serve 40 languages when its VOD offering is included.
The Corrcan Media group (which runs the Canadian Italian language newspaper Corriere Canadese) has no experience in television but believes it can build a channel for $0.20 a month.
It proposes:
- 80% ethnic content featuring 60% Canadian content overall with 100% Cancon from noon to midnight.
- News seven days a week in Cantonese, Punjabi, Italian and Mandarin.
- To serve 20 languages per month, spending 50% of its revenues on Canadian content.
- A half hour of news, five days a week in 16 different languages.
- 21% of programming will be “creative/artistic” Canadian content, ranging from commissioned short and full-length documentaries, to “shorts” and feature length productions (stage and/or cinema) featuring “ethnic Canadians” in non-traditional roles or produced by them, says the application.
Amber Broadcasting is a division of Akash Broadcasting Inc. and licensee of CJCN-FM of Surrey B.C. has applied as well and proposes for $0.30 a month:
- To have no U.S. programming.
- Be 100% ethnic and “virtually” 100% third language. An hour a week would be in English, devoted to the black community.
- 90% Canadian content, with 100% in prime time.
- Daily national 30-minute news broadcasts in each of Mandarin, Punjabi, Tagalog, Arabic, Hindi and Cantonese.
- To serve 25 languages and 25 ethnocultural groups.
- To create 200 new jobs and establish eight bureaus in cities across Canada.
- It boasts a potential group of leaders featuring well known industry executives including former CRTC commissioner Rita Cugini, former OMNI chief Madeline Ziniak and three other former OMNI executives.
A non-profit from Montreal, Independent Community Television (ICTV) wants to provide two services: Tele1 which hits all what the CRTC s looking for, for $0.40 a month; and Tele2, which would be free and carry sports and entertainment programming. It also proposes:
- To serve 45 groups in 45 different languages.
- To be 100% ethnic programming and 100% Canadian with 50% in third languages.
- To do daily half-hour newscasts in Cantonese, Punjabi. Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, Italian, German, French and English.
- 18 weekly one-hour community shows in Urdu, Portuguese, Persian, Russian, Polish, Vietnamese, Korean, Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati, Greek, Ukrainian, Dutch, Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree (Anishinini), and Mi’kmaq.
- 19 weekly half-hour community programs in Romanian, Bengali, Creole, Hungarian, Serbian, Croatian, Japanese, Somali, Armenian, Turkish, Albanian, Amharic, Czech, Telugu, Slovak, Sinhala, Macedonian, Latvian, and Maltese.
- 21 hours of live music per week.
The final one (at least on our list) is completely different and perhaps might merit consideration outside of this particular hearing.
The Multicultural Described Video Guide says it can, for $0.04 per month, provide an audio channel where readers would provide visually impaired listeners with the information on upcoming shows available, in described video in 23 different languages. It would also offer custom news reports of one to three minutes in length in those same languages.
Interventions
So far, most of the interventions filed (the deadline to file is June 7) are in support of the applications, but others take a different tack.
“Why on earth are you considering another must carry station application. Another station that I will NOT watch but am forced to pay for. Give me a break. There are already far too many stations, most of which I do not watch but have to pay for,” wrote George Bryson of Midhurst, Ont. “There should be no mandatory carry stations. If they put out a good product and people watch they will be financially viable. If not, let them shut down. But don't keep ramming stations down our throat, that we do not want, won't watch but have to pay for.”
Unfortunately for Mr. Bryson, this hearing will be to pick one of these applicants for a spot which is already on the dial because the CRTC has already decided Canada needs such a service as part of the basic package.
A Canadian Greek broadcaster wrote the CRTC to say he didn’t think any of these proposed models will work.
“The only format that I see being viable is something like Euronews in many languages,” wrote Montreal Greek TV’s Dimitri Papadopoulos. “Take CTV National News or The National from the CBC, and have the master script translated & presented it in 20 languages to fill the day clock. No margin for local improvisation and/or ethnic propaganda that has nothing to do with Canada. THE SAME Canadian National Newscast will be presented across multiple languages.”
Another intervener, Sameer Zuberi of Dollard, Que., got straight to the point with an eight word submission that simply read: “I think we need more diversity in media.”
