FRIENDS’ annual survey What’s on TV 2010 has found that the hours of foreign programming on CBC English TV equal the historic high set last year. The survey sampled ten markets in Canada including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and St. John’s.

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(Vancouver) CBC-TV has served up a record high number of hours of foreign shows during prime time to viewers in Vancouver this year, according to new survey data released by the watchdog group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.

Friends released the 2010 results of What's on TV today which demonstrates that prime time Canadian content on CBC English TV stands at a 30-year low.

"Just as last year when our national public broadcaster reached an all-time low for Canadian content during prime time, this year one in four hours of CBC's prime time schedule during the sample period were foreign, mostly American shows and movies," says Friends spokesperson Ian Morrison.

The annual survey, which examines the prime time schedules of conventional TV stations broadcasting in major markets across Canada, is taken during the spring sweep period when AC Nielsen is measuring audiences, from mid-February to mid-March. Friends has been tracking these data since 1990.

"CBC management seems quite willing to ignore its obligation to show Canada to Canadians, rather than American game shows or movies," Morrison said.

The data show CBC Canadianized its prime time schedule throughout the 1990s, increasing hours of domestic content from 22.5 hours per week in 1990 to 27 out of 28 hours in 2000. This year, CBC English TV broadcast only 21 hours of Canadian content during prime time during the sample weeks. CBC's prime time Cancon has previously been lower only during the 2004/05 season when the NHL lockout took place.

In addition to the American game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, which occupy five hours of its current weekly prime time schedule, the CBC also presents a large number of foreign films. In the six-month period ending February 28th, CBC Television aired sixteen different foreign movies in prime time including one repeat (see attached list) as well as 211 foreign movies before and after prime time, some of the latter airing more than once.

CBC Television aired the following 16 foreign movies in prime time during the half year from September 2009 to February 2010, including one repeat:

A Christmas Carol A Christmas Story Calendar Girls Coach Carter Elf 4:50 from Paddington Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Home Alone

Master and Commander Miracle on 34th Street (twice) National Lampoon Christmas Pirates of the Caribbean The Santa Claus The Santa Claus 2 Third Girl World Trade Centre

The data show that Canadian private conventional networks are stepping in to occupy the territory CBC is abandoning. Total hours of Canadian content during prime time across all convention networks increased to 57.5 hours in 2010, up from 49 hours in 2009.FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting is an independent, Canada-wide, non-partisan watchdog organization whose mission is to defend and enhance the quality and quantity of Canadian programming in the Canadian audio-visual system. FRIENDS is not affiliated with any broadcaster or political party.

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For information: Jim Thompson 613-447-9592

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Jun 21, 2010 — National Post: CBC runs fewer Canadian shows in prime time by Jamie Sturgeon
FRIENDS says the amount of domestic-made content aired by CBC between 6-11 p.m. stands at a 30-year low, with a full quarter of weekly programming dedicated to U.S. shows.