Long on changes to the anchor lineup with the addition of Pamela Wallin and Ralph Benmergui, cbc Newsworld’s documentary strata is staying virtually the same for the upcoming ’95/96 season.

With the financial assistance of the Cable Production Fund, this year’s Newsworld doc list will tally about 13, the same as last year, says Jerry McIntosh, senior producer, documentary programming at Newsworld.

cbc budget cuts haven’t filtered down extensively to Newsworld, a commercially sold service. Licence fees remain at $50,000 for a 45-minute project, although the additional $25,000 that was more readily available last season will be administered this year on a rare per-case basis, says McIntosh. Seed money remains at $3,000 to $5,000 per project.

About 12 ideas are in development with the following four already commissioned: The Need to Know, a doc on media coverage of the Bernardo trial, produced by Don Young of Almadon Productions in Ottawa with the assistance of the Carleton University School of Journalism; The Making of Rage, about successful video rehab workshops in an Alberta prison, produced by Alan Bibby of Alan Bibby Productions; an investigation into the suicide of a sexual offender (no title yet), produced by Tom Shandel and Daniel Gautreau of Getaway Films in Vancouver; and Greetings from Cyberspace, an Internet doc produced by Melanie McCaig and Thor Henrikson of Folklore Films, Toronto.

Competitive Gymnastics, produced by John Thomson of Woodfall Communications in Vancouver, is expected to close a deal this week.