ISPs, broadcasters and ‘mobile companies’ will be able to apply alongside TV producers to the ‘experimental stream’ of the Canada Media Fund if its proposed guidelines are approved by the new board of directors, according to executives apparent Valerie Creighton and Stéphane Cardin.

The board of the new $350 million fund is reviewing the proposed guidelines, but speaking recently to attendees of the Prime Time conference, Creighton, president and CEO of the old Canadian Television Fund, said the new, official rules will be announced ‘towards the third week of March.’

Management and staff of the CTF are expected to move to similar positions at CMF, which arrives with the federal fiscal year on April 1. Telefilm Canada will continue to administer the application process.

Further changes, however, to the broadcaster performance envelopes will not be unveiled until ‘the first or second [fiscal] quarter.’ Creighton also seemed to indicate that CBC will be judged on performance of its shows, as are commercial broadcasters. ‘CBC is coming into the competitive mix,’ she said.

Creighton and Cardin, who is CTF’s policy VP, told concerned producers that CMF will be divided into a ‘conversion stream’ and an ‘experimental stream’ and that all projects will effectively require an interactive element.

The experimental stream will be earmarked for Canadian companies which are ‘leading-edge, interactive, innovative’ content creators, said Creighton, noting the rule-makers will ‘keep barriers to an absolute minimum.’ Meanwhile, the conversion stream would require two distribution platforms: ‘one must be TV… the second could be a game,’ Creighton continued.

If the new guidelines fly, web-only series need not apply. The CMF is looking for experimental interactive content but wants applications that incorporate both web and TV. Docs are still eligible, and animators will be happy that the proposed rules mean ‘they can go elsewhere in the world’ and still be considered Canadian.

Regional incentives haven’t changed and a northern bonus has been recommended for the three territories – a first. Producers can expect the same deadlines for applications, meaning October and final in December.

Creighton noted that decisions for both streams will be once again made on a per project basis and that there ‘will be more flexibility in year one’ as the inevitable bumps of new guidelines get ironed out.

She said CMF management will continue its town hall process to answer questions, warning, finally, that ‘It’s gonna be messy the first year.’