Partridges ruffle CRTC’s feathers

Flying with The Partridge Family has landed MuchMusic with LessLicence.

In a decision made public late last month, the crtc says it shortened the licence term of the Toronto-based specialty service to five years from the seven requested because Much had violated a condition of licence by airing episodes of the old u.s. series The Partridge Family.

The crtc began questioning Much about Partridge back in November of 1992. To quote the crtc decision: ‘Éin response to a complaint on an unrelated issue, the Commission asked (Much owner) CHUM (Ltd.) to explain how two programs being broadcast on MuchMusic, namely Ren and Stimpy (an animated series), and The Partridge Family (a situation comedy featuring a musical group), were acceptable’ given the crtc’s definition of what Much should broadcast.

The crtc recites the Much mandate as including programming ‘that consists only of a music video service featuring Canadian and international videoclips, music or entertainment-related news or commentaries, video-jockey talk or interviews, music concerts, music specials, music quiz shows and music feature films.’

Letters about the appropriateness of these two programs went back and forth between the commission and Much for six months before Much agreed to discontinue Ren and Stimpy ‘after the completion of its contract.’ But by October of 1993, Partridge was still on and there were more letters; the paper trail continued into February of this year. Although Much argued Partridge was ‘well within the meaning and intent of the nature of service,’ the commission informed Much the matter would be taken up at the licence renewal hearing in April.

When the matter arose at the hearing, Much officials argued they would never ‘come before (the commission) knowingly being in non-compliance’ and that they expected the matter would be reviewed, period, at the licence hearing. Instead, the commission determined Much knew full well the commission considered it in violation of its licence condition. As a result, the new licence is for five years.

The commission also said no to a wholesale cable rate hike of four cents per basic subscriber. The rate stays at nine cents with the regulator arguing that Much is already profitable and can maximize advertising earnings if it wishes.

The good news is that the crtc has allowed Much more flexibility in the definition of its ‘nature of service.’ Although the commission did not approve all changes suggested, it will allow Much to dedicate 5% of its broadcast week to social and political programming. While 65% of programming remains fixed in the music video realm, an upper limit of 15% of the broadcast week can be given over to ‘a combination of music-related dramatic series and music-related animated programming.’

The crtc is also being more specific about which types of feature films Much can air, although it would not allow films ‘driven by’ pop music sound tracks since it says that would be too subjective to define and enforce as a condition of licence.

An executive with Much declined to comment on the terms of the licence renewal.