No matter how attractive a producer’s project may be, its success on a television network is highly dependent on the relationship between the production company and the broadcaster.

‘It’s extremely important. They are the ones who bring our productions to the audiences and they create the impressions that will decide whether viewers will tune in,’ says David Lint, chairperson and ceo of Toronto-based CineNova Productions.

‘If there is an ongoing trust and respect between us and the broadcaster, then it makes it that much easier to develop a campaign that both sides will be satisfied with.’

In 1996, CineNova’s production Shipwreck: The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald had one of the highest audience shares ever recorded for a Canadian documentary, thanks to what Lint says was strong promotional support from broadcaster Global Television.

Global ran plenty of primetime advertising in advance which involved using lead news anchor Peter Kent.

The network’s efforts also landed a lot of attention from the print media.

‘We got a 9.5 share that night, which was unheard of for a documentary that ran against strong primetime lineups on other channels,’ says Lint.

Branding challenge

Rick Lewchuk, vp advertising, promotions and publicity at ctv, says the challenge is to brand the show in a way which allows it to stand out, but still reflect the network’s image and style.’

This was the thinking behind the campaign for ctv’s promotion of The City earlier this year. The network had already launched its signpost red, blue and green ribbon spots to highlight its season lineup, and wanted to develop a complementary campaign for The City. The spots introduced the audience to some of the show’s characters, but instead of using the flowing red ribbon, which signifies entertainment programming, the television screen is subtly framed with a red strip.

‘Viewers, of course, would not consciously pick up on this,’ says Lewchuk. ‘But it’s an example of how we carefully try to connect the feel of a program to the network’s image.’

The same approach holds true at Global Television, according to David Hamilton, national director of public relations and promotions. Global has divided its evenings into themed primetime viewing blocks.

‘When we take on a program. . . we look at how it can be advertised within a branded programming block,’ he says.

When the network picked up the Canadian animated series Bob and Margaret last fall, it needed a campaign that would stand out, yet fit within Global’s Tuesday night comedy lineup.

The network turned to Nelvana, the series’ producer, to help bring out the best the show had to offer. Global’s spots highlighted some of the program’s funnier bits through a themed campaign called ‘Bob and Margaret’s Guide to Being British.’ To further ensure the program would garner audience attention, Global launched the series late in the season, long after other networks had finished introducing their season lineups.

‘The introductory publicity performed extremely well because it not only brought out the feel of the show, but we were able to promote it in a way which was in keeping with our programming block and with what our audiences expect, adds Hamilton.

Taking the lead

When it comes to developing program promotions, network branding is key for Citytv and its sister stations, Cable Pulse 24, Bravo!, MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic and Space: The Imagination Station.

‘We put a Citytv spin on all the shows we acquire,’ says Mary Powers, director of communication at City. ‘Producers understand this and in many cases are happy that we are taking a lead in promoting their programs.’

For City, the campaigns are bold, a little edgy and sharp-witted. Clearly focused for an urban crowd, the syndicated programs and movies-of-the-week are all introduced by announcer Mark Daly.

‘We really have to take the lead with syndicated programming and mows,’ says Powers. ‘Often they come with little publicity material and it’s up to us to put something together in a short period of time.’

Next door at Bravo!, however, things work a little differently. That network tends to have more direct involvement with production houses. Its publicity staff develops promotional campaigns on a case-by-case basis, depending on the resources producers can offer.

‘We always try to work with producers, but what we can do varies according to the production company and the project they have,’ says Carla Lucchetta, communications manager at Bravo! ‘It also greatly depends on how involved the producers want to be.’

When Bravo! broadcast The Genius of Lenny Breau in March, Lucchetta and her staff worked closely with the producers throughout the entire campaign. The documentary, about the life of the Canadian musician, was a labor of love by his daughter Emily Hughes and Sleeping Giant Productions of Toronto.

Bravo! had worked with Sleeping Giant in the past and was familiar with the company’s resources. It, in turn, understood what Bravo! needed. The campaign included written materials provided by Sleeping Giant, a write-up in the Bravo! guide, promotional spots and information to print media. Bravo! also leveraged its relationship with City to inform its news and entertainment departments about the documentary.

Producer-broadcaster relationship

At the cbc, discussion on program publicity starts when production begins, which makes it easier for producers and the network to develop a campaign, says Chuck Thompson, director, television promotions at cbc.

‘We begin talking with producers when they begin shooting,’ he says, referring to programs such as Emily of New Moon and Wind at my Back. ‘You can’t always do that, but we can run stronger publicity campaigns when we can.’

The producer-broadcaster relationship also hinges on the type of network that is buying programs. Specialties have the advantage of knowing audience interests and are likely to foster long-term working relationships with specific producers. It can be a little more of a juggling act for general entertainment broadcasters.

‘When you are running programming that ranges from kids’ shows to Politically Incorrect, it can become quite challenging to develop publicity for such varied programming,’ says ctv’s Lewchuk. ‘We don’t always have the chance to develop the same close working relationships with producers that some of the specialties do.’

For Canadian producers, working on publicity campaigns with American broadcasters can be equally as challenging. u.s. networks seem to be less flexible when it comes to the direction of their promotions, says Leslie Stafford, director of communications at Credo Entertainment in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

‘The u.s. networks tend to want one-sheet information pieces whereas Canadian networks tend to be more involved with producers.’

But a similarity among all networks is the sense that competition is rising.

A 70-channel universe has more networks vying for programs and for advertising space. Networks can no longer take it for granted that their programs will grace the cover of TV Guide.

‘The toughest part is knowing that you have so many great programs that you want to promote but there are only a finite number of commercial hours and only so many magazine covers you can get,’ says Thompson.