Montreal: Videotron Communications has launched a $3.5-million annual fund for the production of educational programs designed for multimedia and broadcast distribution.

Fonds du Savoir intends to make non-recoupable grants in the form of a top-up contribution to Canadian educational programs with an existing broadcast licence. The qualifying licence fee threshold is 15% of a program’s multimedia and tv production budget and is capped at $500,000 per project, or up to 35% of the combined budget.

The fund intends to invite other Canadian cable companies to support its activities.

‘Contrary to other funds which undertake similar work, the Fonds du Savor will concentrate on interactive and multimedia programs having an Internet component. This is the television of the future,’ says fund chairman Franklin Delaney.

Project selection decisions will be made by the fund’s six-member board, which includes Delaney, president and general manager Serge Thibaudeau, Daniel Audet, Fernand Belisle, Francois Champagne and Edouard G. Trepanier.

Deadlines for funding applications for projects in French, English or an aboriginal language are Nov. 18, before 4 p.m., and April 1, 2001, prior to 4 p.m. *

-www.fonds du savoir.ca