Who knew that when the private broadcasters and the national pubcaster found common ground in primetime drama it would cause such consternation?

Window-sharing deals such as Traders, and last month’s announcement of the wic/cbc joint broadcast of Salter Street Films and Cinar Films’ Emily series, have added a new wrinkle to how funding and Cancon commitments will play out.

For some, this new programming friendship is prompting nostalgic pining for the old days when they squabbled over the big sporting events.

Among the questions on producers’ minds:

– d’es the crtc give full Cancon Brownie points to each of the broadcasters?

– in ctcpf terms, whose allocation d’es it come from?

– is the bottom line fewer primetime Canadian drama slots for other indies?

On the flip side of protesting any potential window loss for producers, everyone is all too aware that for the broadcasters, filling two slots with one show is an elegant solution to thorny problems. cbc needs to go all-Canadian at a time when it can least afford to. Private broadcasters have long bemoaned the fact that to remain competitive, they need to find new ways to be able to afford high-quality Cancon.

Will cbc finances force this into a long-term strategy?

Michael Grade (who’s being honored at Banff for his considerable feats in juggling uncompromising programming and the financial balls behind Britain’s Channel 4), is quoted in this issue: ‘To see the cultural values to which any nation aspires eroded by this constant cheese-paring is a tragedy for all the great public broadcasters. Once you lose it, you’ll never get it back.’

This last prediction should be kept in mind when assessing the outcome of the public/private window-sharing scenario. While these particular series, greenlit by private broadcasters, appeal to the pubcaster’s programming sensibilities and mandate, is it a secure supply? Considering the dubious cbc fit of many industrial Cancon series airing on private nets, it’s what may transpire down the road that could ultimately become an ominous aspect of the new ongoing strategy.

The cbc could end up with less voice, choice, and distinctiveness.

In a release at the time of the wic deal, cbc’s Jim Byrd stated that ‘initiatives between private broadcasters and Canada’s public broadcasters have the potential of enriching the Canadian production and broadcasting scene to the benefit of Canadian audiences.’

Er, that is unless you don’t happen to be in the audience personally enriched by the shows occupying dual slots.