In your editorial entitled ‘Food for thought’ (June 1), reference was made to the number of Alliance Communications programs in the Showcase primetime schedule. Your editorial went on to question whether other producers/distributors had been given a ‘fighting chance’ at selling programs for these time slots.

In response, I would like to provide the following clarification:

Showcase’s licence requires the network to carry no less than 60% Canadian content in its schedule – with 100% Canadian programming between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Among the programs in our fall lineup are Street Justice (wic), Matrix (Telegenic), Lonesome Dove (Telegenic), Friday the 13th (Paramount), Destiny Ridge (Atlantis) and Forever Knight (bbs).

Overall, Showcase’s programming comes from many different distributors, including Atlantis/ Ironstar, bbc, cbc, bbs and Alliance. In fact, Alliance-distributed programs make up only 19% of Showcase’s weekly program schedule. Comparatively, cbc programs comprise 15%, Atlantis programming, 10%, and bbs programs, 8%.

Your editorial goes on to suggest that the other Canadian specialty network which Alliance operates, History Television, will also be filled with Alliance programming.

I would like to point out that, of the 280 hours of Canadian programming licensed to date for History, only 3% was Alliance-distributed. Comparatively, 20% came from the nfb, 14% was from the cbc, 18% was from Kaleidoscope and a full 42% came from other producers and distributors.

Furthermore, 100% of the original Canadian programs licensed by History have been supplied by independent producers.

Showcase and History have always been proud to offer a wide range of Canadian programming from an equally diverse range of program suppliers.

Phyllis Yaffe,

President & CEO,

Showcase & History Television,

Toronto.