The international success of City-tv’s information magazine programs comes from thinking local, and acting global, says Jay Switzer, vice-president programming at CHUM Group Television, which owns the pioneering Toronto station. ‘Our strengths lie in telling local stories well. We specialize in doing certain things well. We’re not really involved in coproductions. We don’t produce for other markets,’ he says.

Marcia Martin, supervising producer of City’s FashionTelevision, MovieTelevision and MediaTelevision, agrees: ‘We make programs for us. We’re not looking to make programs for other stations. But we present it in a format that works.’

Other markets seem to have quite an appetite for these ‘local’ programs, though. ft, winner of many CanPro awards and launched in 1985 with host Jeanne Beker, was one of the pioneers. The inexpensive in-house program, produced with a staff of five, is now seen in over 30 countries.

Getting City’s magazine programming broadcast worldwide was a result of hard work and, according to Switzer and Martin, a well-produced product that wasn’t catering to an international market – it simply had international appeal. ‘What’s interesting, why they sell so easily,’ says Martin, ‘(is that) the subjects are something everyone is interested in.’

After the launch of ft, City attended the international markets, cultivating relationships with other broadcasters. Gradually, ft gained some exposure. Once it really took off, it became a calling card, clearing the path for other programs.

Switzer tells the story of an American cable network, which several years ago offered to pick up ft providing certain changes were made, including the paring down of Canadian-focused segments. If the changes were made, the network said, it would ‘cover the program’s deficit.’ Switzer was able to ‘smile, look them in the eye, and say `There is no deficit.’ ‘ City already had 14 or 15 other countries on board. ft finally got its national u.s. exposure two years ago with the vh-1 network – no compromises.

MediaTelevision is the newest addition to City’s lineup of fast-paced and highly visual informational programming. Looking at ‘the world of communication and image,’ MediaTelevision was launched in September 1992 and was able to build on the infrastructure created by shows like ft, MovieTelevision and The New Music. The program, which won a Gemini this year for best lifestyle information series, has been a quick sell around the world and has just been picked up by pbs stations in the u.s.

Once again, says Martin, it was a matter of zeroing in on subjects with broad appeal in a format that City does well. ‘The information from MediaTelevision is things that make you want to say, `Hey, did you know that?’ ‘ she says. The half-hour series is subtitled ‘The modern art and science of persuasion,’ and focuses on media trends around the world – from television commercials to cutting-edge technology (a recent episode explored the fast-breaking world of Cybersex).

Next in line: Ooh-La-La, an ft spin-off. A younger, more tongue-in-cheek fashion program, Ooh-La-La will cover events like a leisure suit convention in the States and a line of prison wear recently launched by inmates of a female prison. Thirteen episodes have been given the go-ahead, working in a presale deal with vh-1.