The cbc shouldn’t have more than its fair share

The as yet non-existent policy governing the cbc sublicensing private broadcaster-sparked series Traders and Emily of New Moon is the subject of study at the ctcpf board level. There’s a lot to think about.

On one hand you have private broadcasters Global and wic, who have, heaven forbid, found a way to make money on Canadian content. Speculation has it cbc is spending $200,000 per on Emily of New Moon. Profit point. And they said it couldn’t be done.

On the other hand you have Baton which has been forced to perform its own little Cirque du Soleil routine to get a piece of the eip for Cold Squad. At the end of the day they have less, enough to make 11 episodes instead of 13, and after some eyebrow-raising antics at Telefilm, have a production schedule pushed back far enough to force a January launch. Media buyers with scraps to spend; the viewing audience long engaged elsewhere.

Meanwhile, no adjustments were made in the monies allocated Traders and Emily in the wake of the sublicencing arrangement. The cbc portions of both sides of the fund remains untapped from either deal.

Wasn’t this fund created to benefit everybody? When the money runs out in six weeks flat, when recoupment-hungry Telefilm finds renewals sexier than unproven product (a sentiment that g’es against the spirit of the new money) and Newfoundland’s embryonic production industry is left grounded, the question of how fairly the fund is being handled needs to be addressed.

Heritage Canada’s cbc-bolstering agenda is undermining the potential for private broadcasters to step up to the plate in Canadian drama production. The integrity of the ctcpf is called into question when the cbc receives financing for series like DaVinci’s Inquest and Daily Tips for Modern Living, which don’t even have a slot on the 1997/98 schedule, and yet Cold Squad, ready here and now, is stunted. Granted, Baton’s track record isn’t anything to write home about, but there seems to be a new determination to focus on quality Canadian drama that deserves better access.

Baton can’t be very popular amongst the ranks of the cab right now. The long-term strategy of letting the cbc have greater access to government funds in return for reduced Cancon commitments from the private broadcasters is in jeopardy with Baton’s Canadian programming centered-philosophy. If it’s inhibited, via unbalanced execution of a vital funding pool, then what? Then the cbc becomes the only venue to which producers not interested in producing industrial programs have to turn.

The cbc will still be privy ­ even with the final $44 million cut by April 1, 1998 ­ to $431 million for English television in 1998/99. No, the cbc wouldn’t have been able to do two one-hour Canadian dramas on par with Traders should those slots have been left open. Yes, the money came out of its acquisition envelope which is better spent in Canada than outside. But that’s not the issue. The issue is fair play. If it’s a sublicence deal, take amounts from the private and the public purse proportionate to the percentage investment in the project. More money will come once the new distributors begin building the pie, but until then, everybody is as desperate as usual to finance drama. If Heritage is hell-bent on a mercy mission for the cbc, spare it from the next cut. It’s a worthwhile cause. But not this way.