Despite the apparent chaos at upper-management levels, the cbc’s English television programming strategy of an all-Canadian schedule along with the slow phase-out of its ‘six-packs’ of shows is finally paying off.

While the other conventional networks – wic, Global and ctv – were down about 8% in primetime this fall, cbc’s primetime share from its season launch Oct. 5 to Dec. 20 was 9.7, a 0.1% increase from the same period last year, according to data from Nielsen Media Research.

And although the increase is of the slightest of margins, programming execs at the national public broadcaster are particularly gratified with the ratings because the primetime share for specialty and pay stations is up about 20% this fall, according to the same data.

‘I think that’s a remarkable performance for an all-Canadian network in a sea of fragmentation,’ says Slawko Klymkiw, cbc executive director of network programming.

‘After two years of struggle, I think that we’ve built a base audience that has bought into a completely Canadian schedule.’

Klymkiw contends that the numbers are also good news for the production industry, proving once and for all that ‘quality Canadian content is watchable.’

A strong showing for new drama series DaVinci’s Inquest (Barna-Alper/Chris Haddock), a renewed interest and earlier time slot for hockey, and a jump in the performance of the 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. timeslot are the primary reasons for the encouraging audience share, says Klymkiw.

He also says that the cbc’s branding, marketing and promotional campaign has ‘begun to turn people around.’

With the intention of building ‘long-term’ viewing habits, six-episode series are no longer part of the programming strategy, except in projects with limited series potential such as the next Ken Finkleman offering.

‘It would be my hope that we wouldn’t have a lot of six-packs except in limited or special series. But that will take some time to weave out of our schedule, because in some cases we might not have any financial choices,’ says Klymkiw, referring to the cbc’s slashed budgets and the Heritage Ministry-ordered cancellation of its $100-million guaranteed envelope from next year’s Canadian Television Fund.

In the wake of the ctf envelope cut, Klymkiw says the task of planning a quality primetime Cancon schedule is a ‘looming problem’ for next year and the season after. ‘None of us want to sit here and whine – it’s been done,’ he says. ‘We’re going to have to adjust to it. How we adjust to it, continue the mandate of public broadcasting programming and keep the share up is, I suppose, the crux of my job.’

But Klymkiw does quarrel with the term ‘even playing field,’ often used to justify the elimination of the cbc’s ctf reserves. ‘Let’s inevitably define what an equal playing field is and let’s make sure that the cbc can equally compete, because my view right now is that the equal playing field isn’t equal for us,’ says Klymkiw.

‘We have a lot of limitations on the kind of things we can do that private broadcasters don’t.’

Indeed, as Canadian private broadcasters have shifted strategies towards proprietary production and distribution to complement their broadcasting assets, the cbc has divested itself of most of its in-house production at Parliament’s behest.

But looking forward, Klymkiw hints that the cbc may seek increased ownership stakes in the independent productions it licenses.

‘At the cbc we’ve all been very clear that we think we have to be part of a discussion that allows us to have some intellectual property rights,’ he says.

Building up the cbc’s library will not only increase revenues to be spent on programming, says Klymkiw, it also falls under the Corp’s mandate as the national public broadcaster.

‘This is not for anyone’s bottom line. It’s not for stockholders. It’s inevitably for the people of Canada,’ he says.

‘We are the guardians of their money and their trust. And my sense is that if we leave them without a library at the end of all this, that’s probably not very good husbandry of the resource.’