The broadcast relations committee of the cftpa is charged with a wide brief, but perhaps the issue top of mind for committee chair and Ellis Entertainment Corporation president Stephen Ellis’ is the development of a terms of trade agreement with the cbc. This initiative was, he says, spurred by similar agreements between producers associations in Australia and the u.k. and their national broadcasters, and by a desire to iron out issues with the cbc in private in order to offer public support to the broadcaster more freely.

The cbc operates around the country but no guidelines exist as to what the rules of the game are when it comes to dealing with independent producers. ‘With independent producers, you get all different levels of experience and savvy in dealing with the cbc. And cbc commissions more [product] than anyone else.

‘We didn’t want to go to the crtc [complaining about the cbc and] sounding whiney, which might have obscured the larger message of support [for the pubcaster]. So we said to the cbc, ‘Will you agree to a terms of trade to smooth out the rough edges, which we can work out privately rather than publicly?’ ‘

With the cbc’s support, the terms of trade are now in development.

Another issue of some importance to the broadcasting committee is the fate of Canadian content without the crtc stipulation that a certain amount of money be spent on it.

Ellis puts it plainly: ‘The question is, without the requirements of the commission, will broadcasters continue to do what they have been doing or will they retreat in the name of the bottom line?’

Another issue the committee is taking a wait-and-see approach to the question of new media and its attendant lack of regulation. December’s crtc ruling seems to indicate that while there are no immediate plans for regulation, the door is definitely open for regulation in the future, should the need arise.