Filmmakers and distributors are crying foul over a Citytv request to the CRTC that it be relieved of its licence condition to air at least 100 hours of Canadian films in primetime each year.

The issue — quietly raised by parent company Rogers Media at the recent licence renewal hearings — is being brought to the forefront by the Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters, which is urging the regulator to uphold the condition when it releases terms of licences for over-the-air broadcasters in the coming weeks.

‘One of the problems is that not enough attention was being paid to [the matter], because there’s been much larger issues at stake, like the future of over-the-air broadcasting, the financial viability of Canwest Global, and the fee-for-carriage issue,’ CAFDE president Ted East tells Playback Daily.

He explains that Rogers, which acquired the station group in 2007, promised it would uphold the condition of licence to support Canadian films.

‘From the minute they were given approval [for the purchase], they pretty much stopped doing it,’ says East, adding that only one distributor, Mongrel Media, has sold a domestic film to City under Rogers ownership. The film is the soon-to-be-released drama Cairo Time, from director Ruba Nadda. He also says that new management at City has been telling distributors they’re not buying films anymore.

Rogers did not return calls for comment. The CRTC is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks.

CAFDE will also push for more support of Canadian films from other broadcasters including CTV, Global and CBC when the CRTC begins its next round of licence renewal hearings. City is currently the only OTA broadcaster that is required by licence to air Canuck films.