CTF impact study renewed

The CFTPA has released an extensive update of the PwC Consulting study on the economic impact of the CTF, Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Canadian Television Fund 2002.

The 104-page study details what would happen if the CTF were eliminated, projecting financing for distinctly Canadian shows would collapse as producers were forced to seek large foreign presales. The report estimates $456 million in foreign financing would be required to maintain current levels of production generated by the CTF.

Without CTF support, the report projects an estimated $520 million to $622 million in production would be lost, as would between 13,700 and 16,500 direct and indirect jobs.

CTF is a partnership between Canadian Heritage, Telefilm Canada and the Canadian cable and DTH satellite industries. It is up for renewal in April 2003.

Offspring, Dracula up for Int’l Emmys

Canada will square off against Japan, South Africa and the Slovak Republic on Nov. 25 at the 2002 International Emmy Awards – where Offspring by filmmaker Barry Stevens is up for best documentary honors.

First seen on CBC’s Witness, the Barna-Alper production follows writer/director Stevens (Newfoundland on the Somme) on his search for the anonymous sperm donor who gave him, and his 200 half-siblings, life.

Offspring was voted audience favorite at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, took the Writers Guild of Canada Top Ten Award and is also up for two Geminis. It is distributed by AAC Fact.

Its competition at the Emmys includes Decision at Age 18, a Japanese doc about young Israeli soldiers, and a South African movie about penguins.

The only other Canadian production to score a nomination was Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary by Guy Maddin – up for best arts bragging rights against entries from The Netherlands, France and the U.K. British broadcasters lead the pack with nominations in seven of the eight categories.

Cable comeback

According to a study of Canadian digital television distribution by Decima Publishing, Canadian cable companies are gradually gaining digital TV market share as satellite TV subscriber growth levels off.

According to the report, The Digital Domain: Tracking the Growth and Development of the Canadian Digital TV Market, digital TV subscribers in Canada increased by 5% to more than 3.1 million in the second quarter of 2002. The two satellite providers’ market shares have dropped 1% since the first quarter to 63%, while cable’s market share went up 1% to 36%.

The research shows that Canada’s two satellite TV providers, Bell ExpressVu and Star Choice, continue to dominate Canada’s digital environment, but their growth is slowing while the growth of cable digital is picking up, suggesting the transition from analog to digital is underway.

The new study contradicts a StatsCan study conducted in 2001, suggesting the demographics are just beginning to change.

CRTC rejects cross-subsidy complaint

The CRTC has ruled (Telecom Decision CRTC 2002-61) against a complaint filed by Quebecor Media, owner of cable TV company Videotron, alleging BCE is inappropriately cross-subsidizing DTH service Bell ExpressVu’s entry into the Quebec broadcasting distribution market.

The commission further determined that it will not hold public hearings on the issue, as requested by Quebecor, and that ExpressVu’s licence renewal will be examined at a public process in spring 2003.

Earlier this month, Quebecor and Videotron filed an appeal with the Federal Court of Canada against two CRTC decisions (2002-254 and 2002-255) stating Videotron had ‘acted abusively’ in unilaterally reducing affiliate payments to Reseau des Sports, the French-track CTV Specialty (former Netstar) sports channel. The commission ordered Videotron to make full payment to RDS.

Videotron had alleged RDS was charging ExpressVu less for its programming than it charged Videotron. Similar complaints were filed on behalf of programming services owned by Astral Media, CTV Specialty and CHUM Television.

Videotron can appeal the telecom decision to the Competition Board.

Filmoption wins SODEC export prize

Filmoption International is the winner of the 2002 SODEC prize for export in film and television, the Prix SODEC d’excellence a l’exportation. The company was launched in February 1979 and is in its 24th year of operation.

At an Oct. 2 award presentation, Filmoption president and founder Maryse Rouillard, who owns the export company with sister Lysanne Rouillard, thanked those ‘core Quebec producers who supported and trusted the company in the early days.’

Filmoption specializes in factual programming and also has a feature film division. The company has an office in Toronto and represents about 100 Canadian producers. Annual sales are in the $5 million range.

Finalists included Pixcom International and Distraction Formats. SODEC has made investments of $1.4 million in 38 Quebec film and TV export projects in the past five years.

17 lit works get Greenberg bucks

The Harold Greenberg Fund’s English-language Story Optioning Program, initiated in January, has optioned 17 Canadian literary works to homegrown producers.

Among the 17 productions being funded through Astral Media is The Biggest Modern Woman of the World, based on the novel by Toronto writer Susan Swan, which is being produced by Toronto’s Triptych Media, with John Frizzell and Swan penning the screenplay.

Two Barbara Gowdy novels have also been commissioned – Mister Sandman, produced by Toronto’s Accent Entertainment and penned by Bruce McCulloch, and Falling Angles from Regina-based Minds Eye Pictures and Triptych, with Esta Spalding writing the screenplay.

CBC excellence celebrated south of the border

THE Museum of Television and Radio is set to launch its salute to CBC’s 50th anniversary. The series will highlight CBC innovations in comedy, news and variety programming by screening more than 40 programs from the public broadcaster in both New York and Los Angeles Oct. 18 to Feb. 2, 2003, as well as hosting a Radio Listening Series.

Dramas to be screened include The Boys of St. Vincent, Ken Finkleman’s The Newsroom, Atom Egoyan’s In This Corner and David Cronenberg’s The Italian Machine.

In addition, CBC personalities such as Finkleman, Peter Mansbridge and executive producer, network programming Mark Starowicz will be in attendance at the New York Museum on Oct. 17 for the opening seminar, ‘CBC/Radio-Canada: A Tradition of Excellence.’

Peace Arch whittles debt

Peace Arch Entertainment of Vancouver has repaid the remaining balance owed to the Working Opportunity Fund, reducing its overall debt from $7.9 million to $106,000 over 12 months.

‘This repayment represents the last of the [high-interest bearing] 36% debt,’ says Juliet Jones, president and CEO. ‘We are extremely pleased to have repaid this debt so quickly, ahead of its maturity date. The resulting reduction in interest expense will take considerable pressure off earnings and cash flows.’ The remaining long-term date has an 18% interest rate.

Yad Garcha, senior VP of investments at WOF, has resigned from the board as part of the repayment.

‘We are grateful for the ongoing support the Working Opportunity Fund has provided to our company, especially last fall when conventional sources of financing were unavailable,’ says Jones.