The CRTC hopes that by allowing more advertisements on TV it can revive English Canada’s ailing drama scene and has proposed a series of ad time rewards for broadcasters – to boost the airtime, viewership and spends of high-budget, original shows – but has set aside calls for time credits, reduced Part 2 fees and stiffer regulations.

The plan is the latest in a series of moves by the CRTC to resolve the trouble with English-language drama, and follows a call for suggestions issued last fall to stakeholders and the public. There were only three one-hour dramas on Canadian networks this season, down from 12 in 1999, a drop many blame on changes made that year to the CRTC’s Television Policy.

The commission hopes the lure of extra ad revenue will encourage ‘casters to ‘work cooperatively’ with producers while also funneling more cash to the production of new shows.

Under the proposed plan, released May 6, ‘casters could earn extra ad time by:

* airing more drama hours, or,

* spending more on drama production across all conventional stations within a broadcast group, or,

* increasing their annual viewership of Canuck drama, compared to all drama, across all stations and specialty channels within a broadcast group.

‘Incentives, if properly calibrated, would… ensure the production of high quality programming that is promoted and scheduled in a manner that attracts and retains the largest possible audience,’ say the feds.

For example, the peak-time broadcast of an original, 10-point, CTF-backed hour with a budget of at least $800,000 would earn 2.5 minutes of extra ad time. If not supported by CTF, the same show would earn an additional four minutes, the revenue from which is earmarked for the producers.

Broadcast groups could also earn 25% more ad minutes over a year by raising their annual drama spends or ratings. The commission says it hopes to boost spending on drama by conventional stations from 4% to 6%, as a percentage of total revenues, over five years.

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters welcomes the move, noting that the plan follows some of that group’s arguments about funding, but some network execs had hoped for more.

‘I can’t understand why they didn’t put the 150% [time credit] back in. Especially for kids, that was huge,’ says Loren Mawhinney, VP of Canadian production at Global Television, referring to one of the rules written out in 1999. ‘The ad minutes should also count for repeats.’

She also thinks the four-minute bonus for non-CTF shows would go unused, but supports the overall plan, saying it would get Global ‘a lot closer’ to supporting more drama.

ACTRA has mixed reactions. The actors union, long at the front of the drama lobby, got the incentives it asked for but not the stiffer regulations that would force broadcasters to schedule and spend on drama.

‘Nice carrot, but where’s the stick?’ said actor and spokesperson Paul Gross in a statement. ‘The CRTC should do what’s necessary to make Canada’s private broadcasters earn their licenses. They’ve been pampered for too long.’

The CRTC claims that time credits do more harm than good, pushing drama into off-peak periods, and has repeated its argument that strict regulations do not motivate broadcasters to invest in quality shows.

The commission is again taking comments on its plan, outlined in CRTC public notice 2004-32, due by June 21. Another plan, intended to maintain the success of French-language drama, is due shortly.

-www.crtc.gc.ca