Bell Canada’s $12-million new media fund is off the mark Sept. 10 aiming to jump-start the convergence of the broadcasting and multimedia industries.

Split 60% English-language projects to 40% French-language projects and available only to Ontario and Quebec-based independent producers, the Bell Canada Broadcast and New Media Fund will be allocated over the next two years on a first come, first served basis through the Independent Production Fund.

Financing will come in the form of a grant of 50% of the cost of production of the new media element of the project, capped at $250,000 per, or as a licence fee top-up of 50% of the Canadian broadcaster’s licence fee to the limit of $100,000.

Although the fund is geared towards projects in the development phase, productions greenlit anytime in 1997 are eligible for the first year of the fund. In the three months ending Dec. 31. 1997, the ipf has $2 million to disseminate.

Eligible projects must have a Canadian broadcaster onside and play off programming which falls into the underrepresented categories of drama, variety, documentary, children’s or educational programming. The program must qualify under cavco guidelines at a minimum 6/10 on the point system, as opposed to the normal 8/10 funding triggers.

Sheridan Scott, vp multimedia law and regulation for Bell, says the flexibility on Cancon criteria allows a fledgling industry room to maneuver.

‘At this stage, we’re still trying to see what range of product is available out there. It’s early days.’

The multimedia project must be either interactive television, Internet applications (including non-promotional Websites) or cd-roms and must include live-action or animated video segments, except where alternative content is recognized as attractive to the target market.

In return for financing, Bell is taking a first right of opportunity to license the rights to interactive content compatible with its interactive content trials which will launch, along with trials by Telus, early in the fall. Although the rights will be optionable to the highest bidder, Scott says there’s a finite number of Canadian distributors with access to a high-speed, two-way broadband network that can provide the environment for quality interactive and video content.

The applicant must be an independent producer experienced in broadcasting or new media production. Broadcast-affiliated production companies like Alliance and Atlantis are eligible but will be limited to a maximum of 25% of the Bell funds allocated in the aggregate over a fiscal year, leaving the pubcos with fingers in broadcast licences limited to $3 million of the fund.

The anticipated turnaround time on applications is one month, although all requests for $250,000-plus go to the board for approval and will take longer. Financing will come 60% on closing of the financing for the full project and 40% on completion and delivery to all distribution outlets in queue.

ipf executive director Andra Sheffer reports to the Bell fund board which is chaired by Paul Hoffert, executive director of the CulTech Research Center. Scott is vice-chair and secretary, and Bell’s Peter Pleckaitis, vp new media and interactive services, is acting as treasurer.

The body of the board is made up of Michele Fortin, Radio-Canada’s vp French television, Owl Television president Annabel Slaight, Sylvie Lalande, group vp communications for Bell, sodec president Pierre Lampron, and Suzanne Steeves, senior vp, original programming and specialty channels at Baton Broadcasting.

The board will meet late in the fall to troubleshoot if, for example, the 60/40 balance between English and French projects proves to be difficult to manage. ‘The good thing about this fund and other private funds is that they have flexibility to change and adapt,’ says Sheffer.