Two days before they went public, Laszlo Barna was already using the new CTF guidelines as a rallying cry for increased funding from Ottawa. Speaking to members of ACTRA Toronto on Nov. 15, the producer and CFTPA chair complained bitterly of working conditions in Canada and called for more federal dollars for the Canadian Television Fund.

‘We’re tired of being the poor cousins in our own country,’ he told the crowd. ‘I shoot my show Blue Murder in a shabby little studio that sits right across from a Universal Studios production that shall remain nameless. They actually have air conditioning and a properly lit studio, something Blue Murder can’t afford.’

Citing the recent rethink at CTF, announced Nov. 17, Barna called on actors and other stakeholders to lobby for more long-term funding.

‘We can now all go back to Ottawa and say the fund is fixed, but we still need more money to get our stories on the air,’ he said. Barna commended ACTRA on its lobby efforts, which recently took top stars including Wendy Crewson and Rick Mercer to Ottawa for meetings with policymakers.

CFTPA is working on an ‘action plan’ to address many of the problems facing Canadian producers, including low licence fees, cash flow and certain regulatory issues, he added. The plan is due for release in February.