Canadian broadcasters could lead the industry into a minefield after they signaled they want to renegotiate their terms of trade agreement with indie producers before it expires in 2014.

Rogers Media president Keith Pelley told a Banff Industry Day panel in Toronto Tuesday that top indie producers are making world-class TV shows that broadcasters air in primetime as possible money-earners.

But Pelley also wants broadcasters to share in the upside from multiplatform and international exploitation as conventional TV ad revenue faces a secular decline.

“I feel it’s a little one-sided to the independent production community and, from the broadcasters’ perspective, I think it’s something we have to address in terms of the revenue share,” he said of the current terms of trade agreement.

Bell Media president Kevin Crull said broadcasters took great care to negotiate the original terms of trade agreement, which now needs to evolve with the times.

“I don’t think we would now turn around and say it’s broken. The industry has changed a lot since we signed it,” he argued.

Shaw Media president Paul Robertson said reopening the terms of trade agreement was in part about allowing broadcasters to claw back revenue from multi-platform rights as they get exploited in a fast-changing digital world.

“It does have to continue to evolve,” Robertson argued.

Another part of Shaw Media’s agenda is negotiating more “creative” uses of financing for international co-productions.

“We have tremendous U.S. partners in our business that really look to us for creative solutions on [for example] how do we pull off the next Vikings,” Robertson said.

Producers in the Banff Industry Day audience were taken aback by broadcasters with deep pockets crying the blues.

But the broadcasters insist they have in mind top-drawer producers expert at making compelling TV shows for the Canadian and world markets, and where they are backed by Canadian license fees, subsidies, tax credits and international revenues.

“There’s a handful of them (producers) out there that are producing unbelievable content. It’s very rewarding,” Rogers Media’s Pelley said.

“So if you believe that you can produce great content, the current rules set up really well for you,” he said, adding the existing terms of trade agreement puts broadcasters at a disadvantage.

Michael Hennessy, president and CEO of the Canadian Media Production Association, representing major producers, was not available for comment at press time.

Editor’s note: He responded to the broadcaster’s ideas in a follow up story published here.