The CBC says it’s disappointed by the CRTC’s report on the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), issued earlier this afternoon.

In the 68-page report tabled today, the CRTC has made a number of recommendations, which, if implemented by the Government of Canada, would result in a $150M decline in funding to Canadian public sector television programming over the next five years, says the CBC.

The CRTC recommended regarding splitting the CTF into public- and private-sector components. “If implemented,” said a CBC news release issued moments ago, “Would mean that only private-sector programming in Canada would benefit from future growth in CTF funding. Under the existing CTF structure, all programming — both public- and private-sector — benefit from the increase in CTF funding that flows from growth in the Canadian broadcasting sector.”

“The CRTC’s split-fund recommendation would result in this benefit no longer accruing to public-sector programming. If implemented, the CRTC’s recommendation would penalise all public-sector programming participants and the independent producers that are the direct beneficiaries of the Fund,” says the CBC.

“Splitting the fund into two separate streams is counter-intuitive,” said Sylvain Lafrance, Executive Vice-President of French Services. “What the CRTC is proposing is inconsistent with Canada’s 1991 Broadcasting Act, which calls for a single, integrated public/private broadcasting system.”

Today’s recommendations from the CRTC contradict its Task Force’s June 29 2007 Report recommending that projects qualifying for the new private-sector funding stream include those licensed by CBC/Radio-Canada.

“Implementing today’s recommendations would effectively take money away from those who have the strongest commitment to Canadian programming,” said Richard Stursberg, Executive Vice-President of English Services. “We hope the Government will recognize the detrimental effect this report would have on
Canadian programming and culture.”

	Email This Post