In What About Tomorrow? a report on Canadian French-language drama prepared for the CRTC and Telefilm Canada, author Guy Fournier writes, ‘As far as the CRTC is concerned, readers will probably not be surprised that the television broadcasters I surveyed regard [the commission] as a necessary evil in general, [and] a genuine nuisance when it comes to television ‘content.”

The issue of priority programming seems to be a particular sore point.

‘On the other hand, with the exception of the broadcasters, the entire French-language television community believes that the CRTC plays a fundamental role and that, without it, our television would be largely ‘foreign’ and not as excellent as it is recognized to be. The CRTC, it is felt, must continue to make maximum use of the Broadcasting Act and to exert all of its regulatory and moral authority over radio and television.’

Fournier, a veteran screenwriter, director, producer and former programming executive, says the disappearance of the CTF ‘would be catastrophic for French-language drama productions, but the way that it works now is a genuine calamity for all the programs to which it contributes.

‘Everyone criticizes the CTF for its disastrous lack of flexibility,’ says Fournier. ‘Its application deadline creates spectacular bottlenecks. Dozens of programs end up having to be produced simultaneously in a relatively short time, which creates a scarcity of skilled labour, inflates wages and salaries, complicates casting, and overburdens post-production services.’

Fournier’s report suggests CTF program selection be based on objective criteria, with each broadcaster assigned its own financial envelope, determined according to the amount of licence fees paid in the preceding year.

That would re-establish the direct relationship between producers and broadcasters, give broadcasters back full control over their programming, and eliminate some expenses involved in developing series and programs by reducing the uncertainty about how much funding they will receive.

‘Access to the CTF should be reserved for broadcasters …[and] to compensate producers for their loss, licence fees would be increased accordingly,’ says Fournier.

The report also looks at Telefilm operations, coproduction and international program sales, the evolving TV advertising market, the ‘depersonalization of French-language drama’ and the role of reality TV.

-www.crtc.gc.ca