Montreal: By a majority vote, the crtc has approved a series of applications from Canal Indigo to reduce its Canadian program contributions to 5% of gross annual revenues from 10%, applicable to Indigo’s pay-per-view, direct-to-home ppv and video-on-demand services.

The commission says the 5% level is consistent with the obligations imposed on similar Canadian services.

The Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters opposed the applications, expressing concern over the licensee’s low-level commitment to the production, promotion and broadcast of Canadian and Quebec feature films. In response, Indigo said its operating shareholder, Viewer’s Choice Canada (controlled by Astral Media), would maintain its policy of acquiring all of its Canadian programs from independent Canadian producers and distributors.

Concerning the contribution remitted by its vod service to the Harold Greenberg Fund, Indigo told the crtc, ‘The original equity investment from this contribution of 5% of gross annual revenues is recouped, thus representing an incremental increase in the original investments, on which the fund can count.’

Indigo is a French-language ppv service and general partnership made up of four partners: vcc, which holds 40%, and Groupe tva, Cogeco Radio-Television and Television Quatre-Saisons, each with 20% ownership. Astral Media owns 50.1% of vcc, an English-language ppv service.

www.crtc.gc.ca