The CRTC has released a series of incentives intended to improve the viewership of French-language drama on private and conventional TV. Broadcasters can now earn the right to air between two and three additional minutes of advertising for each hour of original French-language drama aired during peak hours.

The total amount of additional commercial time will be determined according to production budgets, with extra time available to dramas that do not draw on funds from the CTF.

It is similar to the federal plan introduced last year to boost drama in English Canada. Both reward broadcasters for spending on drama and attracting audiences.

Céline Pelletier, spokesperson for the APTFQ, is upbeat and says the French producers association is optimistic that the plan will make good on its goals to stimulate drama production.

In May 2003, the CRTC began to study the slump in Canadian drama and warned of a possible French-language crisis, similar to that of English Canada, if measures were not taken to stabilize production volumes.

Writer/producer Guy Fournier – author of the 2003 report on French-Canadian drama called What About Tomorrow? – says that while the CRTC’s incentives are somewhat helpful, the scope of the commission’s ability to affect the situation is very limited.

‘[The CRTC] has accepted the fact that French and English drama markets are quite different and should be treated differently, but the types of measures that the commission can take to help drama are very limited,’ he says.

Any significant changes that could actually increase production of French drama would have to come from the CTF, he adds.

‘The fact that they’ve introduced a credit for advertising will help, but in a very limited way. The best that you can expect is that it will probably slow down the decrease of original drama.’

According to Fournier, the major issues facing French drama addressed in his CRTC-commissioned report remain the same today. In addition to calling for assistance and regulatory mechanisms that match the differences of the English and French markets, Fournier’s report also stresses that the escalating cost of drama is contributing to a gradual slowdown in its production.

‘We have about the same number of productions, however, the average cost of production seems to have gone down, with lower budgets for drama. The big-budget drama will definitely decrease, in favor of average-cost drama,’ says Fournier, adding that such a move was expected. ‘In the end, I don’t think our market is sufficient to sustain a large number of high-cost dramas.’

-www.crtc.gc.ca