speak out

Montreal: Producers in Quebec have issued a sharp denunciation of a 16-member arts coalition request to the federal cabinet for a review of the licences of specialty channels Bravo! and A&D Television. The producers are particularly opposed to a review of a&d, the new French-language documentary specialty channel operated by Montreal-based Premier Choix:tvec. The coalition group includes the Directors Guild of Canada, actra and the British Columbia Motion Picture Association.

In a letter to Canadian Heritage Minister Michel Dupuy, dated Aug. 17, Association des Producteurs de Films et de Television du Quebec president Louise Baillargeon says: ‘(W)e consider dgc’s appeal is without basis and constitutes a flagrant abuse of procedure.’

The letter says any action taken by cabinet as a result of the coalition’s appeal ‘would threaten the established licensing procedure and call into question all decisions handed down by the crtc.’ Any review, suspension or delay of the new specialty channel launch, would ‘paralyse the Canadian broadcasting system,’ says the apftq.

The coalition’s request for a review is based on the Power of Direction clause in the Broadcasting Act, which allows cabinet to direct the crtc’s actions. A decision to grant or deny the review is expected within two to three weeks.

The apftq calls a&d, which will invest $4.8 million in Canadian acquisitions in its first year of operation, a ‘breath of fresh air.’ It says Quebec’s documentary producers have fought for more than a decade for an appropriate broadcast window and have been obliged to service foreign clients due to the lack of a French-language documentary channel in Canada.

According to the coalition, the need for national arts performing and cultural channels, in both English and French, was not fulfilled by the crtc’s June 6 licensing decisions.

It says the licensing of Bravo!, operated by Toronto-based CHUM Ltd., and of a&d could undermine funding for the as yet unspecified cultural services.

The Quebec producers disagree: ‘(W)e cannot accept that the decision (to license a&d) be put in doubt on the false pretext that the granting of such a licence could eventually compromise the implementation in the future of specialty services as foreseen by the Broadcasting Act,’ the association says in its letter to Dupuy.

The tone of the apftq’s letter edges towards bitterness, although it does not complain that the coalition’s opposition to a&d originates mainly with English-speaking arts organizations outside of Quebec. A spokesperson for Quebec’s Union des artistes says the group is offering ‘moral support’ to the coalition, but the uda was not a signatory.

For its part, the apftq points out it did not appeal any of the June 6 decisions by the crtc, despite the fact that only two of the 10 new specialty services are French-language, a&d and Reseau de l’Information, the new Radio-Canada all-news channel. However, the producers say rdi’s programming is virtually all in-house, and consequently, a&d constitutes the only good news offered to French-language producers in the specialty channel licensing decisions.

In the letter, Baillargeon goes on to say the crtc not only ‘penalized French-speaking citizens of this country’ when it rejected the applications of two French pay-per-view services, but also penalized the seriously underfinanced Quebec feature film industry.

a&d’s Cancon level is 30% overall and 30% in primetime. But in a recent interview, Pierre Caron, Premier Choix vice-president, told Playback 60% of the actual program budget will go to Canadian productions. Half of the $4.8 million earmarked for Canadian acquisitions will be spent on new productions which will premier on a&d. He says $3.9 million will be spent on foreign programming, a significant portion with Arts and Entertainment in the u.s., and an additional $1 million will be set aside each year for dubbing.

Caron says he received an enthusiastic reception when he spoke to the producers in mid-June at the apftq’s annual conference.

The apftq letter to Dupuy concludes: ‘In fact, Mr. Minister, a&d is the only programming service authorized last June 6 which will contribute significantly to the stimulation of independent French-language production.’