CRTC to make new Canadian Television Policy

OurTV wrote an article discussing the 2009 Financial Results of Conventional Television Stations by the CRTC. The report points out that private broadcasters are spending $846.3 million on foreign programming (59%); spending on Canadian programming has decreased by 3.3%. Furthermore, less money has gone into Canadian drama.

The CRTC will be releasing a new and improved Television Policy on March 22. Canadian performers (such as ACTRA) would like the CRTC to consider:

• making over-the-air broadcasters spend a percentage of their revenues on Canadian programming, with at least 6% of their revenues dedicated to drama;
• telling corporate broadcast groups that they too must spend a set percentage of their gross revenues on Canadian drama;
• requiring over-the-air broadcasters to air a minimum of two hours per week of original Canadian drama in prime time, 8-11 pm Sunday to Friday; and
• ending the free-ride for cable companies by making them pay conventional broadcasters fairly for their signal and making sure they don’t pass the bill along to consumers.

Additionally, ad sales have decreased and affected the financial results. "From 2008 to 2009, local advertising revenues decreased by 10.1% from $387.2 million to $348 million, and national advertising revenues by 10.3% from $1.47 billion to $1.32 bill."

Read the CRTC's report here, and see OurTV's article here.