The government’s lukewarm official response to the Lincoln report on the Canadian broadcasting system has left many in the industry shaking their heads, fearful the two-year, 872-page study will end up a victim of bad political timing.

‘What’s disappointing is the short shrift that the Ministry of Heritage gave to a very comprehensive and detailed report with some very serious recommendations,’ says ACTRA national executive director Stephen Waddell.

The report, titled ‘Our Cultural Sovereignty: The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting,’ was issued in June by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage chair, MP Clifford Lincoln, and makes 97 recommendations for revamping the Canadian broadcasting system.

The first paragraphs of the Nov. 6 response caution the industry not to expect much action. ‘Many of the issues addressed by the Standing Committee are complex and interrelated. Accordingly, many of its 97 recommendations call for further analysis, examination and policy development before any decisions are taken,’ it states.

While Arthur Lewis, executive director of Our Public Airwaves, a federal lobby group promoting the CBC, didn’t expect serious financial commitment, he says the government’s response could have achieved more.

‘I think the response from the government is appalling. They’re not prepared to commit even in principle,’ says Lewis, explaining that even though the government is not in a position to commit funds, its response could have easily sent a message of support that would have proved helpful when Paul Martin steps in as prime minister.

Lewis’ concern now is that CBC funding will suffer cuts in the anticipated February budget, rather than receiving the additional funds recommended in the report. ‘If [the current government] had come out saying [that] the CBC needs more money, it would have been harder than it potentially will be for the new finance minister to make cuts,’ he says.

Although one of the key recommendations in the report called for increased and stable multi-year funding for CBC, the response was pretty much what CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch expected.

‘This is the beginning of a process and there will be several steps to this process. From our point of view, it’s better to start with a leg up and that’s what the report gave us,’ he says. ‘There was no way the government, at this late stage in its life, was going to commit financially to anything.’

Considering the comprehensiveness of the report, Ian Morrison of Friends of Canadian Broadcasting says the government’s 11-page response is inadequate, but that may end up working in the report’s favor.

‘If you were looking to put a new stamp on broadcasting, culture and communications policy, the Lincoln committee’s report would be like a checklist,’ says Morrison. ‘So the fact that the Chretien government has sort of ignored the report, in a perverse kind of way suggests a Martin government might not.’

Trying to figure out how the next government will address Canadian broadcasting is a guessing game at best, but Morrison, Lewis and Rabinovitch agree it will likely be 12 to 24 months before Martin’s government will take action on the report’s recommendations.

‘It took over 15 years to amend the Broadcasting Act last time,’ says Rabinovitch, and the broadcast industry ‘may be flying below the radar in terms of the new government. So you have to assume that everything is going to basically be on hold, at least in our field.’

Minister of Finance John Manley and Minister of Canadian Heritage Shelia Copps calmed some industry fears with the Nov. 17 announcement of amendments to the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit in favor of Canadian producers.

However, tax credits are only one small part of Canadian broadcasting woes addressed by the committee. The report calls for a more stable, efficient CTF and a review of the CRTC’s 1999 Television Policy, widely blamed for the current crisis in Canadian drama. It recommends creating a single Communications Act to replace the Industry-administered Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts and the Heritage-administered Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Act. The committee also recommended current levels of foreign ownership remain at 47%.

Broadcasters look to next budget

While many of these concerns may not be addressed until well after the next election, Peter Miller, CHUM Television, VP business and regulatory affairs, is confident key issues pertaining to the CTF will be addressed in the next budget.

‘We have good reason to believe that Mr. Martin will stick to his earlier commitment to take the fund back up to $100 million,’ he says, but ‘I don’t think any of us can assume [the Canadian broadcasting system] is going to be the number one priority of the new administration.’

CFTPA acting president and CEO Guy Mayson is also confident CTF funding will be a priority for the Martin government.

‘I was glad to see the importance of the CTF was underlined in the response… We’re very encouraged that there will be some support within the new government,’ he says, vowing to keep the issue front and center should the government show signs of backing away from the Lincoln report.