In a breakfast speech to the National Press Club, Michael McCabe, president and ceo of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, predicted that if private broadcasters were allowed to be owners, producers and distributors, they could inject upwards of $30 million in new money for projects supported by the ctf, a 30% increase in the current level of financing available from the Canadian distribution sector.

‘There isn’t enough product for us as broadcasters to make our way in the new world,’ said McCabe in a call for an end to the regulatory barriers that limit the amount of broadcaster involvement in Canadian programming. ‘It’s time to look more broadly at how we advance Canada as a whole in the tv business and not just how we protect the privileges of an entire sector.’

In spite of inevitable concerns about undue preference from the independent production community, strong integrated companies are already evolving in Canada.

‘With companies like Alliance Atlantis, [which] are producers and broadcasters and distributors, it’s illogical that ctv and Global can’t also be broadcasters, producers and distributors,’ says McCabe.

He reiterates the importance of the Canadian Television Fund, since its annual $200-million investment leverages more than $750 million in tv production, according to ’98/99 stats. But he says the influx of foreign competition makes it necessary for Canadians to produce more unique programming with additional money from the private sector.

‘When the day comes when Seinfeld, The West Wing and er are available from many, many sources – when the owners of these programs in the u.s. become uninterested in, in effect, licensing them to Canadian broadcasters – instead choosing to drive their brand names across the globe, we’re going to have to depend on our own product.’

The $30-million figure was derived from a survey of all the major broadcasting companies. The survey asked how many projects broadcasters would do and how much money they would put forward in distribution advances if allowed to participate on that level with Telefilm-funded projects.

That said, tva’s JPL Productions has launched a promotional spot — ‘Plugged In’ – showcasing Canadian programming. Playing on heavy rotation on all CAB-member stations across the country, the spot is the first in a series to increase awareness about Canadian programming and the role of the ctf.

In addition to the spot, a bumper will be inserted into programs supported by the fund, after the first commercial break, to build recognition and brand homegrown programming for viewers.

Stay tuned!

(www.cab-acr.ca)