OTTAWA – WildBrain has filed a heavily redacted Part 1 application accusing Bell of disadvantaging its children’s programming to the benefit of Corus in the English-language markets.
“The origin of this application is the disadvantageous treatment of the WildBrain Services by Bell,” alleges the application, which is nearly entirely redacted. “We do wish to note, however, that by creating this disadvantage for the WildBrain services, Bell is providing a direct advantage to the sole direct competitor to these services in English markets.”
The application is in relation to the distribution of Family Channel, Family Jr., WildBrain TV, and Telemagino.
The company said it must compete against the Corus, a pure-play media company with a slate of family content, and foreign competitors “who are reaching into the Canadian market in a way that has never been seen before.” It added that it must compete with Bell’s Crave service, which offers online access to children’s programming.
“The Commission is aware that the children’s discretionary television market is especially concentrated,” the application added. “The two principal players are WildBrain itself and Corus Entertainment. Other children’s services may be present in the market, but they have minimal competitive impact in terms of viewership, programming creation and acquisition, or advertising.”
The CRTC has already resolved numerous “undue preference” applications in this space. Earlier this year, it found Rogers had given itself an undue preference by refusing to carry Timeless’s OneSoccer channel. It also denied an application earlier this year by Bell alleging Quebecor’s removing of channels meant an undue preference.
WildBrain’s application comes amid tough market conditions for media companies. Broadcasters have requested that the CRTC ease up on regulatory requirements as they are ravaged by a bad advertising climate, saying the implementation of legislation forcing foreign online platforms to contribute to Canadian content will take too long.
“All Canadian children’s services are experiencing fluctuations in the market and viewership,” WildBrain’s application said. “Viewership to these services has eroded over time, coinciding with the entry into Canada of large, unregulated streaming platforms offering children’s programming. However, the impact of this change is being felt across the board by all services and all children’s services.”
