For Immediate Release

The CRTC today called for comments on Canadian television programming as a lead up to its September 23 public hearings on Canadian content. This hearing is the most important event in Canadian television policy since the 1980s, and will affect all aspects of television policy.

Since the release last week of the CRTC’s Commercial Radio policy, no informed observer can doubt that the Commission has shown that it is prepared to use active regulation to promote Canadian content. All the major players on the audio-visual system are expected to take this hearing seriously, from broadcasters to producers, writers, directors and viewers groups, such as FRIENDS.

Note that the Commission has released performance indicators for the Canadian television system as an appendix to this announcement, including financial data for the past five years. These show, for example that conventional television station profits have increased by 52% since 1993 [to $264 million] while their expenditures on drama, music and variety programs have increased by only 1% [to $81 million].

In view of the crucial role of CBC Television in the presentation of Canadian content - 98% of its prime time offerings were Canadian in October 1997, while CTV/Baton’s share was 18% and Canwest/Global’s was only 16% - FRIENDS notes with concern in paragraph 53 of the CRTC’s announcement that the Commission has chosen to pose the question of how the CBC can "complement the role of private broadcasters".

A second concern, in view of recent declines in local and regional programming on both the CBC and private conventional broadcasters, is that the CRTC does not appear in this announcement to consider local and regional programming as a priority issue for the forthcoming hearings.

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For information:

Jim Thompson (613) 567-9592