Montreal: The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television – Quebec has announced private broadcasters Reseau TVA and TQS have accepted modifications to Prix Gemeaux regulations and will participate in this year’s competition. The gala broadcast is set for Nov. 23.

Both private networks and their production affiliates boycotted last year’s program along with several high-profile dissident producers, including Aetios Production, Productions J and Productions Guy Cloutier, which have also decided to renew ties with the Academy.

The announcement was made June 4 at an ACCT-Quebec press conference chaired by president Guy Fournier, credited with brokering the deal and bringing the boycotters back to the Gemeaux fold. Attending the meeting were senior broadcast executives including Therese David of TQS, Rene Bourdages of TVA and Suzanne Laverdiere of Radio-Canada.

Fournier, author of the recently released CRTC report on French-language drama, says the agreement represents ‘a renewal for the Academy in Quebec and the way the gala is produced.’ He credited the dissatisfied broadcasters and producers ‘with pushing the ACCT to undertake the major review,’ the subject of a lot of rancorous commentary in the local press. And he credited SRC with accepting some important compromises.

Primary changes to the Prix Gemeaux rules will see an extension of the controversial pre-selection process (between four and eight weeks) when the finalists are chosen. The jury selection vote will make up 60% of the final vote, with 40% from the general membership.

Twelve of the 72 Gemeaux categories will be abolished, including best newscast. A new category for best format program has been added, and henceforth artists and programs with three Gemeaux wins will be assigned ‘Les Immortels’ status and permanently retired from competition. In addition, TV managers and programmers will be excluded from jury committees.

In an effort to evolve a more open and representative Gemeaux competition, the Academy says it will significantly reduce membership fees and launch a major recruiting campaign this fall with the aim of doubling membership from 1,250 to 2,500.

The deadline for Prix Gemeaux ’03 submissions for comedy, variety, youth, sports, adaptations and animation programs and their respective craft and performance categories is June 27. The deadline for drama, documentaries, public affairs and magazine programs was June 20.

-www.academy.ca