Stephen Waddell is national executive director

of ACTRA.

An audible sigh of relief can be heard throughout our industry. In restoring funding to the Canadian Television Fund, Prime Minister Paul Martin has kept the promise he made to Canadian performers. Moreover, he has demonstrated a commitment to Canadian culture by stepping away from his predecessor’s sorry legacy of allowing Canadian drama to fade from our TV screens.

While the CTF’s restoration brings a certain amount of satisfaction, we cannot help but feel frustrated. When the CTF was cut last year, the fate of our entire industry hung by a thread. Undoubtedly, the restoration of the CTF will make a significant difference to a number of productions this year. However, the bigger question that needs to be addressed is this: why is the entire fate of our industry dictated by the fortunes of a taxpayer-funded government program?

Clearly, fundamental change must take place in order to ensure some stability and vitality in our industry. It is shameful that our industry has to perform an annual tap dance for taxpayer’s dollars, especially at a time when our private broadcasters are making millions in profits.

Clearly, something needs to be done to establish some balance in the system so our industry can take advantage of long-term planning and stability and Canadians will be able to see their own stories on their TVs.

The solution is to scrap the CRTC’s 1999 Television Policy that ended minimal spending requirements for broadcasters, allowing them to satisfy Canadian-content requirements by filling their schedules with cheap reality and magazine-style programming.

As a result, Canadian culture and programming has all but disappeared from the airwaves, reducing the number of one-hour dramatic series on the air from 12 in 1999 to a low of three in 2003.

Instead, we suggest the introduction of a ‘carrot and stick’ approach. The CRTC should offer private broadcasters financial incentives, for example by allowing them extra ad time when they air Canadian drama. However, the CRTC also has to bring back the spending requirements that were dropped in 1999 and require broadcasters to air a minimum number of hours of original Canadian drama during primetime hours.

We are very much aware that broadcasting is a business – and that private broadcasters are ultimately accountable to their shareholders. However, we suggest that broadcasters are also accountable to Canadian audiences who as taxpayers support the regulated environment that serves them so profitably.

We are hopeful that the prime minister’s support for the CTF is an indication that he is willing to take decisive action to make nurturing our unique Canadian identity a priority; and that he will refuse to allow broadcasters off the hook by supporting ACTRA’s calls for changes to the CRTC’s Television Policy.

Canadian taxpayers have done their part. It’s time for Canada’s private broadcasters to step up to the plate.

-www.actra.ca