Spending on independent Canadian production remained flat in 2005, growing by less than 2%, according to Playback’s 18th Annual Report on Independent Production. Increased spending on cheaper TV programs in the comedy, variety, magazine, lifestyle and reality formats offset drops in live-action kids, documentary, MOW and miniseries production.

Last year, $1.26 billion was spent on Canadian film and TV production and development, up from $1.24 billion in 2004. The slight uptick comes on the heels of an 18% drop in 2004 and marks the end of a four-year slide.

With the various content sectors in flux due to wavering demand from broadcasters at home and abroad, many of the top companies in the prodco ranking – including Alliance Atlantis Communications (number one), Zone3 (five) and Insight Film Studios (seven) – are those that have diversified in terms of project genres. Playback ranked companies based on their total production and development spending in 2005.

‘The companies that have prospered are doing a range of production – drama, kids, documentaries. [They are] pursuing different genres and financing models,’ says Guy Mayson, president and CEO of the CFTPA.

The comedy/variety category saw the biggest increase of any sector, with 56% year-over-year growth to $74 million. Live-action kids programming suffered the biggest dip, plummeting 45% to $44.8 million.