Cinema Canada (Mar 1983)

Impressive ratings for CBC TORONTO ~— Despite criticisms from the Applebaum-Hebert report and from a task force set up by its own producers, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) productions have drawn impressive ratings in the early year. Ratings for the premiere episode of Fraggle Rock, a CBC co-production with Henson Associates Inc,, drew 2,743,000 viewers. and a whopping 44 percent share watching English language television at the time. During the period Jan. 10-16, five CBC productions drew audiences of over 2 million viewers: Super Show: Anne Murray’s Caribbean Cruise (2.7 million viewers and a 29 percent share); Hockey Night in Canada (2.2 million and a 30 percent share); Empire Inc. (2.1 million and a 22 percent share); “the fifth estate” (2 million and a 25 percent share); and The _ National (which achieved a weekly average of 2 million viewers). During the same _ period, seven other shows topped one million viewers: Front Page Challenge (18 million); The Journal (18 million weekly average); Market Place (1.6 million) ; Hangin’ In (14 million) ; The Nature of Things (1.3 million); CBC early-evening news (1.3 million five-day average) ; and The Tommy Hunter Show (1.3 million). According to one CBC source, the CBC’s prime-time Canadian programming averages 1.6 million viewers compared to an average of 2.4 million viewers for prime-time American programming. (cont. from p. 3) pay-TV. “The CRTC commissioners just don’t understand how the situation sorts itself out,” commented one producer. “They thought that since the same amount of money would be in the pot, the competitive situation would be healthy,” he said, referring to the seven competitive licenses awarded. “Every single representation made to them indicated that a monopoly had to be given the Canadian licensee, or the situation would be impossible,” he concluded. “Once the CRTC said that First Choice had to spend 45% of its gross and 60% of its programming budget on Canadian production, it created an enormous problem for First Choice, which sees Canadian programming as something which can’t possibily help it,” said another producer. “I’m not surprised that it’s trying to find a way around the CRTC regulations.” Meanwhile, the CRTC decision is creating another unique and unprecedented situation ; the willingness of American pay-TV companies to foot the entire production bill for Canadian companies. Reports yet another producer, “The doors are opening. One company just offered me, say, $600,000 for my next production. Then they'll turn around and sell it back to First Choice for $900,000 in a package with all those other American films First Choice has to buy.” Commenting on the above situation, one producer said, “It’s just a squeeze play of another kind. Although it may be in our short-term interest, because we can make our films, it ultimately means more money leaving the country. The intention of the government in introducing pay-television was to reinforce the industry here. I, for one, am tired of whoring.” Producers look to the CRTC and the department of Communications for assistance in clarifying the legality of scaffolding, and insist that survival is already a day-to day affair. Given the record to date of the government's participation in the creation of the above situation, optimism is at an all-time low. USA takes on foreign agents (cont from p. 3) The decision has aroused a storm of disapproval ranging from Canada’s environment minister John Roberts, who is at odds with the U.S. government over acid rain, to frontpage coverage in many Canadian newspapers, as well as ‘ the Los Angeles Times. The two acid rains films have been in distribution in the U.S. since June '82, just two of 700 titles in American circulation and If You Love This Planet, Terri Nash's film of a speech by American anti-nuclear arms activist Dr. Helen Caldicott, is an Academy Award nominee in the documentary category. “We in no way consider these films to be political propaganda,’ NFB commissioner James de B. Domville said in an statement. “We are proud of our international reputation and are proud to be making films that are free from political interference. These are hardhitting, issue-oriented films that talk about matters of grave concern to both Canadians and Americans. We find the decision of the Justice Department to be bizarre and are seeking legal advice.” Los Angeles independent distributors Direct Films (who are distributing If You Love This Planet as well as two other American-made films about Dr. Caldicott) say they were “outraged and enraged” at the decision. “The fact that some bureaucrat sitting looking at a movie thinks it’s political propaganda has the same validity to me asif he'd decided it was pornographic,’ Direct spokesperson Mitch Block told Cinema Canada. ‘Our country is based on the idea of free speech so that we can have debate, and this is especially so when it applies to something that isn’t American. Freedom of speech shouldn’t be limited to Americans.” In 1974 the U.S. Justice Department made a similar decision about the NFB’s Challenge for Change film That Gang of Hoodlums (1972), a film contrasting two protest demonstrations. At that time the Board withdrew the three prints in circulation. The Board's legal position in the current case won't be known until early March. 12-17,1983 W wa summer institute of film 8 professional quality, week-long workshops advanced screenwriting producing dramatic films writing for television producing successful documentaries intermediate screenwriting introduction to screenwriting production d'un cinéma indépendant redaction de scénario Douglas Bowie Harry Rasky John Harrison Featuring: Jean Pierre Lefebvre Eda Lishman Small Groups Micheline Lanctét Bill Gough Anna Sandor Colin Low Pay TV Executives Fee:$250 Single Rooms $45/Week Some Canada Council Grants may be available ALGONGUIN COLLEGE 281 Echo Drive, Room N306, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 1N3 Tel. (613) 237-1118 eecceel a a a March 1983 Cinema Canada/11 ee