`Supports’ distinct market

I would like to dispel any wrong impression left by the article in your March 13 issue dealing with the direct-to-home policy review of the federal government (‘Task force grapples with dth,’ p. 2)

Since we would not be offering any services other than those which are authorized for distribution in Canada, we will not affect Canadian rights acquisition for television programming in any way.

The pay-per-view service we are proposing will in no way undermine distinct Canadian market rights. This is ensured by the fact that we will buy our Canadian rights to such programming in the same manner as current Canadian ppv services do – from Canadian distributors – except for studios now handling their own products in Canada, again as current ppv does.

Furthermore, we will buy non-exclusive rights to avoid displacing any service – if others providing such services do likewise.

We fully support a distinct Canadian broadcast market – that is what gives rise to our existence too!

I would also like to dispel any misunderstanding created by the centerfold advertisement in the same issue.

The facts on Power DirecTv are: we are an independent dth venture Canadian controlled by Power Broadcasting Inc.; we meet all Canadian content and contribution standards; we serve all of Canada in English and French with high-quality digital signals of authorized programming only; we use Canadian satellites for Canadian services and u.s. satellites for programming in u.s. facilities – as cable and broadcasters have always done in order to be efficient and dedicate more of the available money to Canadian program content; and we are subject to crtc enforcement of our commitments as any other Canadian operator.

We will bring an 80-channel ppv capacity to the Canadian program industry, permitting more screen hours for Canadian films and events – and have arranged to offer those programs in every u.s. home subscribing to DirecTv, overcoming the historic problems in u.s. market penetration.

We will use North American consumer equipment being built by rca, Sony, Toshiba, Uniden, hns – and others to be announced. This ensures wide availability, good consumer choice, and competitively falling prices.

We do not criticize anyone else’s initiative. We seek only that the same substantive and timing conditions apply to us as apply to our competitors.

The competitive market this produces is a real advantage to Canadian producers and distributors – more demand for their product; lower costs of getting to viewers; an opportunity for more exports; and, a variety of outlets.

Don’t be misled. Find out and judge the facts.

joel bell,

chairman,

power directv,

toronto.

Truly Canadian?

it was with great dismay and a tinge of disgust that I read the article ‘Commercial Production Truly Canadian: Creative Defined’ (Playback, Feb. 27, p. 19). Apparently the goal of this piece was to help define what Canadian identity is according to advertisers. Why, then, were all of the 16 people featured in this article men? Playback has not helped to define Canadian identity, but rather has defined the white, male version of it. Give me a break.

lori beckstead,

ckln???

Editor’s note: Playback approached Canadian commercial production houses and requested them to canvas their directors and find out who had a strong opinion on the topic. Unfortunately, the ‘male version’ is representative of the Canadian commercial director establishment; there are very few women commercial directors.