Canadian actors want more funding for TV dramas

Canadian actors brought their lobbying campaign for financial and regulatory support back to Parliament Hill on Tuesday, but this time they had their eyes on the incoming government of Paul Martin as much as on the outgoing one of Jean Chretien.

"In a very short time there are going to be some new people running this country - new people with new ideas," said Wendy Crewson.

"It's a chance for a fresh look at the issues."

ACTRA, the union representing Canadian actors, has been lobbying for more cash for the Canadian Television Fund, which supports home-grown dramatic productions.

They also want the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to institute regulatory changes that would boost Canadian drama.

The last round of lobbying in May included an hour-long meeting with Martin and some of his advisers, at which the former finance minister noted that when he held the portfolio he resisted bureaucratic effort to cut the television fund.

"I think we certainly have his sympathies, and I think that bodes well for the future," said Paul Gross. "But there are an awful lot of things that have to happen."

An ACTRA official who attended the May meeting said that although Martin was receptive he made no concrete commitments and the participants didn't discuss details of future programs.

The actors were to meet Tuesday with CRTC officials and with members of the House of Commons finance committee, currently gathering ideas for potential use in the next federal budget.

The federal television fund became an issue last spring when John Manley, the current finance minister, slashed $25-million from its budget for this year.

Heritage Minister Sheila Copps later claimed the money would be restored, but the best Manley would do was advance the fund $12.5 million that had originally been earmarked for next year.

ACTRA wants the fund maintained at $100 million a year and, if possible, boosted by an additional $20 million.

It wants the CRTC to consider incentives and regulatory rules that would tie support for Canadian drama to licence renewals for the country's broadcasters.

Without those kinds of changes, said Rick Mercer, Canadian dramatic productions - which have dropped from 12 prime-time shows to four over the last four years - will continue to wane.

"We are about to complete a distinctly Canadian surrender of our prime-time television schedule," said Mercer.

"If we do not change course right now we believe that Canadians will be watching Americans 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on virtually every single television channel they can click to."

ACTRA Lobbies Ottawa for Immediate Action

October 7, 2003 - ACTRA members returned to Ottawa to demand immediate action to save Canadian programming. The fate of next year's drama season on Canadian television hangs in the balance over the next few months, unless funding and regulations are addressed, a final collapse may be in the offing.

"It's hard to believe Canada could make an even bigger mess of its broadcasting system, but that's what we're about to do if things don't change," said Rick Mercer. "We are surrendering the most powerful medium we have. If we don't change course right now, Canadians will be listening to and watching Americans 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on every channel they can click to."

Paul Gross, Rick Mercer, Sonja Smits and Wendy Crewson lead the star ensemble, which included ACTRA National President Thor Bishopric, ACTRA Toronto Performers President Richard Hardacre, Toronto and National Councillor Christie MacFadyen and Montreal Councillor Tyrone Benskin.

After a morning press conference, the team fanned out to tackle a series of meetings with Ministers, Finance and Culture Critics, as well as CRTC commissioners and staff. The day was capped by a formal pre-budget presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance.

Throughout the day, performers demanded action on two fronts:

* The federal government should restore and reinvest in the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) in its next budget.
* The CRTC should update and renew its regulations - in time to save next spring's production season.

" In 1999, with 12 primetime dramas for TV, we were building audience success like every other Western country was doing," said Sonja Smits. "Then, the CRTC changed the rules. Dramatic TV production collapsed, and we have only four drama series left on air. The result is that American productions basically now own Canadian primetime TV."

" Under the current plan, federal investment in television through the CTF will be cut by more than a third next year - a cut of almost $40 million," said Wendy Crewson. "If we want Canadian stories on air, cutting the CTF is the wrong choice. At a minimum, the CTF should be maintained at $100 million. To help turn things around, we should go further and invest an additional $20 million in the CTF."

The actors also called for prompt action by Canada's broadcast regulator. " Stabilizing and renewing the CTF staves off a final collapse," said Paul Gross. "But if we want to take back our primetime, and build a successful, increasingly market-funded and audience-driven Canadian dramatic television system - we need to do more. We need a new set of broadcast regulations - in time for next season's production - that clearly spells out that there is more - MUCH more - to a Canadian broadcast licence than a free pass to rebroadcast American shows."