Meet the new kid on the block. He’s eight months old, likes improv comedy and Aboriginal storytelling, and has $15 million to spend.

That was the bottom line of a meeting in late November between Toronto-area TV producers and Craig Broadcasting, at which execs from the Calgary-based company laid out some of their programming plans for toronto|one, the new multiethnic station due to launch next September. The hour-long presentation by Joanne Levy, manager of independent production, and producer Lisa Meeches called for fresh, multicultural and Toronto-centric dramas, docs and comedies.

‘We want to reflect Toronto the way it is – in all its diversity and shining glory and lumps and bumps,’ Levy told some 30 producers at the Sutton Place Hotel. ‘This is going to be your station…Let’s show the world that Canadian programming can be entertaining, can reach broad audiences, and [that we] can create mainstream programming that works.’

The $35-million high-definition start-up has committed to airing eight hours of Canadian priority programming – sitcoms, dramas, variety, etc. – every week in primetime. Some shows will be made in-house, but most, says Levy, will be outsourced. Craig has earmarked $15.4 million for indie productions.

Craig beat the odds earlier this year when it won what is thought to be Toronto’s last conventional TV licence from the CRTC, KO-ing applications and appeals by local heavyweights such as TorStar and CHUM.

Levy encouraged producers to ‘think outside the cooking shows and travel shows’ of specialty and digital channels. ‘Niche programming might work in the afternoon but it doesn’t work so well in primetime,’ she says. ‘Think in terms of what can go in primetime, what can win in that timeslot.’

But money is tight and licence fees are expected to average about $40,000 per hour of priority programming, says Levy, adding the station will be ‘very open’ to second broadcast deals and inter-provincial coproductions. ‘We have to be flexible,’ she says.

With comparable multiple licence fees, plus some CTF cash, a resourceful show could probably spin that licence fee into a decent $1-million to $2-million budget, according to Frances-Anne Solomon, president of Toronto’s Leda Serene Films. ‘It’s in the same ballpark as Showcase,’ she says, adding she’s ‘very excited’ about the new station. Her company recently turned out 13 eps of Lord Have Mercy! – a Caribbean-flavored sitcom that shares first broadcast rights with toronto|one and Vision TV.

Indie producer Paul De Silva agrees prodcos will have to be more inventive with funding, and will likely focus on cheaper lifestyle and documentary shows. He’s more concerned about the expense of shooting in high-definition. ‘The costs are still very high, so that’s one of the things we’re going to have to struggle with,’ he says.

Other shows previously announced by Craig emphasize variety and current affairs and include Second City Improv, a showcase of the famed Toronto comedy troupe; Toronto Life: The TV Show, a spin-off of the glossy monthly magazine; and The Toronto Show, a Monday-through-Friday hour of singing, dancing and theatre.

Dawn Deme of Villagers Media Productions remarked that turning out Toronto-heavy shows for a multiethnic audience will require a ‘rethink’ at many companies. ‘Most of us produce for an audience across the country that doesn’t want to see Toronto,’ she says. ‘It’s odd because the rest of the country will not necessarily be interested in those shows.’

Meanwhile, Craig is preparing to hire a general manager and will likely make an announcement shortly, says president and CEO Drew Craig. But the station does not plan to finish filling producer jobs until spring or summer of 2003, which has fueled rumors that the fledging station does not yet have its business in order. TD Capital Group owns a 33% stake and printing giant St. Joseph Corp. reportedly has an option to pick up 10%.

Craig would not comment on any deals in the making, but insists his TV station is good to go. ‘There are absolutely no financing issues and we are proceeding as planned…we’re very happy with the progress,’ he says.