Montreal: The crtc has asked for comments (2000-148) on ‘access by Canadian treaty coproductions to funding from certified independent production funds.’

The private production funds have asked for the review, with the recommendation any official coproduction, majority or minority, certified by Telefilm Canada become eligible.

Treaty coproductions are considered ‘national’ productions in both coproducing territories. The rule change would also be consistent with new guidelines for coproduction admissibility adopted by the Canadian Television Fund, says Andra Sheffer, executive director, Independent Production Fund. Sheffer was mandated to request the change on behalf of all the certified private funds.

Private production funds consist of endowments by founders and annual contributions from broadcast distributors. Currently, Canada’s certified private production funds disburse between $40 million and $50 million a year, says Sheffer.

The certified funds include: the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund; Rogers Documentary Fund; the Rogers Cable Network Fund, which provides equity financing for Canadian tv programs with a first window on a specialty network; the Cogeco Program Development Fund; the Shaw Television Broadcast Fund; Videon Television Broadcast Fund, which supports independent television programming originating in Alberta and Manitoba; and the ipf.

The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1.

The crtc has also asked for comments (PN 2000-15) by Dec. 8 on its amendments to the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, Pay Television Regulations, 1990 and Specialty Services Regulations, 1990 as outlined in 2000-6. *

-www.crtc.gc.ca