Montreal: The APFTQ producers association says it fully supports Super Ecran’s licence renewal despite a request by the pay-TV movie channel to untie its regulated Canadian program obligations as a fixed percentage of subscriber revenues, normally 20%.

Producer support is based on guarantees from Super Ecran (an Astral Tele Reseaux company) that it will acquire all Canadian and Quebec feature films released in Quebec theatres, and that the broadcast service will enlarge its definition of revenues to include other investments and revenues from DTH distribution. It also undertook to significantly increase its acquisition budget for Canadian and Quebec movies (up to 50% over the term) and the licence fee paid for movies, up to $250,000, a development producers say will help firm up minimum guarantees from distributors.

Super Ecran has also agreed to hike its development support for feature films to $3 million over the term, including funding for rights acquisitions, and to drop its guaranteed recoupment position in feature investments.

The service also agreed to increase support for INIS, Quebec’s advanced film and TV school.

The CRTC will meet June 19 in Hull, QC, to hear renewal apps from Superchannel and Moviemax, TMN-The Movie Network and Super Ecran. * -www.crtc.gc.ca