Source : Canadian Press

TORONTO (CP) - Culture Minister Madeleine Meilleur refused to guarantee
Monday that the quality of TVOntario programming won't suffer from an
anticipated $3-million funding cut next year at the provincially owned
broadcaster.

The province and TVOntario are in the midst of exploring new ways of
generating revenue to recoup the roughly $3 million the broadcaster is expected to lose in expected cuts to next year's budget, Meilleur said.

"What we want is to maintain the same level of quality, to continue to offer
the same service, while trying to find other sources of revenue," Meilleur said after question period.

"We're working hard at maintaining what exists. ... There is no guarantee at
the moment."

Meilleur said other provinces - she wouldn't say which - have expressed
interest in TVOntario programming and that the government is exploring whether it can sell it outside the province as a way to recoup the shortfall.

"They are interested in buying our services, and that's one avenue we're
looking at presently."

TVOntario has an overall budget of nearly $75 million a year, $48 million of
which comes from the base operating grant it gets from the province, said
TVOntario spokeswoman Jill Javet.

The broadcaster is always near the top of the list when talk around the
legislature turns to which government agencies could be sold off and privatized - a hot topic in recent months as the Liberals struggle with the deficit.

Indeed, Javet said TVOntario was put on notice almost immediately following
the budget in May that it would face the prospect of cuts next year.

"We have been in discussions with the ministry for some time now about the
possibility of a reduction in our base operating grant," Javet said.

"For quite some time, the ministry has indicated to us that in the coming
years, they would like to see us reduce our reliance on government funding."

Javet said whatever the outcome, the broadcaster will do whatever it can to
minimize the impact on staff and to preserve the level of programming.

"Whatever we do, we will do everything possible to minimize any impact on our
staff, on our workforce, and not to compromise the quality of our educational
services for Ontarians."

Finance Minister Greg Sorbara said it's up to individual ministries to
determine how they allocate their funding, but he insisted the cuts are not the first step down the road to privatization for the broadcaster.

TVOntario's French and English operations are closely intertwined, Javet
said, making it difficult to determine which of the two would bear the brunt of the cuts, although she noted that the English side typically gets two-thirds of the programming money while the balance goes to the French side.

When asked whether $2 million would come out of TVO and $1 million out of
TFO, Meilleur said, "That's the indication that I have."

Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Mary-Anne Chambers, whose
ministry oversees the TVOntario funding allocation, has already warned of
possible cuts.

Ministry spokesman Rob Thompson said the province is actively working to help
TVOntario find a new revenue source.

"We are in the process of working with TVOntario to help them develop and
open up new revenue generating streams and opportunities," Thompson said.

"There's no doubt in the government's mind that we're extremely proud of the
work that TVOntario has done ... and we're undertaking the process of helping
TVOntario find new revenue generating streams for their great products."

New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton said the potential for cuts at TVOntario
flies in the face of Premier Dalton McGuinty's repeated promises to preserve and protect the provincially owned broadcaster. "Mr. McGuinty and his helpers went on at length about how any cuts to TVO were criminal, how any cuts to TVO would be fought in the trenches," Hampton said.

"Promises he made were just trolling for votes."

© Canadian Press