Agnes Augustin is an ardent advocate of Canadian children’s programming. And it’s not just because of her eight-year association with the Shaw Rocket Fund – first as a member of the board and, since 2004, as president. She’s also a mom.

‘I didn’t have direct experience with Canadian kids programming when I first joined the board, but I was the mother of five- and seven-year-old daughters at the time, so I was really aware of the importance of children’s television,’ says Augustin.

‘My kids loved The Big Comfy Couch – the 10-second tidy was the best thing ever,’ she adds, referring to the high-speed toy clean-up Loonette the Clown performed in every episode of the Canadian-produced series in hopes that kids at home might do the same.

‘Children’s television is a really important part of the development and education of our kids, so it’s critical that we help producers and broadcasters make great shows.’

Augustin was initially asked to join the board of the Shaw Rocket Fund in 2001 because of her financial expertise. The Calgary native’s resumé included production accounting for numerous Canadian TV series, business affairs consulting for production and distribution companies, 10 years as a financial analyst with Telefilm Canada in Vancouver, and head of in-house production at CMT.

‘I quickly realized that kids programming is a very successful and important sector of the industry,’ says Augustin, 43.

In 2004, Augustin took over as president of the Shaw Rocket Fund, which is the largest dedicated private funder of children’s programming in Canada. The Shaw Communications-sponsored fund invests $10 million to $11 million annually in equity financing to 45 to 50 kids, youth and family programs. It also awards the internationally juried $50,000 Shaw Rocket Prize on a yearly basis to the best independently produced Canadian kids program.

Since 1998, the fund has invested $65 million in 290 Canadian children’s shows, totaling about 2,138 half-hours of programming.

But doling out cash is only one aspect of Augustin’s job. Just as important, she says, is her role as a champion for Canuck kids programming. ‘When I took over in 2004, [the Shaw Rocket Fund board] sat back and said, ‘Yes, we do a really good job giving producers money, but what more can we do to help?’

One particular way the Rocket Fund is lending a hand is by lobbying for policy changes that would establish more funding and increased requirements for domestic kids shows on Canadian channels. In conjunction with the CFTPA and the Alliance for Children and Television, the fund recently sponsored a Nordicity study that found that between 1998/99 and ’07/08, the volume of Canadian production in the children’s and youth genre dropped 34%.

‘Primarily, this is because children’s programming is no longer considered a priority within the Canadian broadcasting system,’ says Augustin, pointing out that the major networks have few licence conditions relating to domestic kids programming.

This year’s volume of children’s production is likely to plummet further due to the recession, she adds. ‘As a result of cutbacks, CBC has reduced the amount of English-language kids programming. And while the specialty channels commission most of the kids programs in Canada, their expenditures are based on ad revenues, so we expect to see another drop this year.’

Augustin points out that 24% of the Canadian population is currently under the age of 18, and the Broadcasting Act mandates that the industry serve men, women and children.

‘Kids are a big sector of the population, and we at the Shaw Rocket Fund believe that it is the responsibility of the broadcasting system to ensure that our children have access to Canadian-made programming, regardless of the state of the economy or fluctuations in the international marketplace,’ she says. ‘There needs to be policy in place to ensure that Canadian content for our kids is protected. And this policy idea has to be embraced by all stakeholders… the CRTC, Heritage and the various organizations within the film and TV business, including broadcasters.’

Another challenge facing the Rocket Fund is in the ever-expanding realm of interactive content and digital platforms. The fund’s current regulations restrict its financial investment to content with a broadcast licence, making standalone interactive content ineligible.

‘We are trying to work with the CRTC to figure out how we can be involved both with traditional TV content and content created for digital platforms,’ explains Augustin. ‘Kids are the early adopters of interactive technology and expect a multiplatform viewing experience, so producers need the funding in order to reach them. If we don’t provide Canadian content online, our kids are going to go elsewhere, and the whole world is available to them on the web.’

Et Cetera…

• Favorite childhood TV show: ‘Star Trek – the original and Next Generation. It’s fiction, fantasy and escapism.’
• What did you want to be when you grew up? An entrepreneur. ‘I like building things!’
• Favorite TV show today: Murdoch Mysteries. ‘I watch it with my daughter Emma – we started watching during the Writers Guild of America strike and got hooked.’ She calls it a period version of CSI.
• First job in the industry: Accounts payable on the TV series MacGyver.
• New technology that perplexes you? Twitter. ‘It doesn’t keep my interest for long.’
• Old technology you refuse to give up? ‘My radio. I have an iPod, which I love, but I still like the live feel of the radio, especially when I’m driving.’