It shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of us that another attempt is being made to resuscitate Canadian television and its national content.
On March 26, the federal government re-announced a $350-million initiative called the Canada Media Fund in an attempt to breathe life into Canadian television production and online content related to TV.
The fund is mostly old government money with a new name – it combines and increases the former Canada New Media Fund and the Canadian Television Fund.
The new fund, which was established a year ago but came into effect only on April 1, will be distributing yet-to-be-announced funding envelopes to each of the three Canadian broadcasting leaders.
CBC, CTV and Global will each recieve funding in the hope of getting the Canadian content ball rolling.
As they say – it’s the thought that counts.
As wonderful as it is that the federal government is looking to increase the production of national programs – including northern Canadian and Aboriginal content – it seems something is still slightly wrong with this picture.
The answer doesn’t lie in handing over the same old money to the big three with the expectation of creating new and exciting programming.
The answer is for Heritage Minister James Moore to enforce firm rules that say exactly what needs to be done with the allocated money.
It is Moore’s job to be specific about where these funds are meant to go.
Moore would be wisest to specify that the money should go directly to the development of online content and digital media for Canadian television.
By enhancing digital media, I mean that both small and large Canadian networks should be given money to develop website and online sectors.
This would give all artists the opportunity to submit their own cultural content.
This is the smartest allocation of funds for two reasons.
The first is that it seems unlikely that Canadian television networks will suddenly mobilize because of new or extra funding money – this has rarely caused them to seek out creative and innovative programming in the past.
The second is that money towards digital media could mean a more democratic and accessible way for Canadian artists to self-broadcast and make available a wider range of national content at the click of a mouse.
In a press conference last year, Moore said the government was “leveling the playing field” with the new fund.
If money is put towards a giant step into the new age – an age filled with online utilities making it possible for experimental, original aspects of culture to be discovered and broadcasted – this could be the case.
If the money were forced to go towards creating a homegrown digital presence, less pressure would be on the large networks to search for and produce smash-hit national shows .
It's a task they haven’t fulfilled while making a decade-long run at expensive bids on American programs.
This way, the onus could be off the big networks, and onto the independent TV, documentary and filmmakers who are itching to self-produce and be viewed.
If a digital media department was implemented into regional and national networks, then we could be looking at new cultural content on a weekly basis.
So, in light of the exhausting “TV Tax” and “Save Local TV” campaigns, this could help shift the focus.
Let’s shift the focus to the future.
By injecting funds to make regional and national networks more digitally savvy, a wider range of people from different Canadian localities could come out from under the shadow of American content.
And hopefully, all of those under-the-radar, capable artists could debut their cultural contribution before their community or even their nation – and fix the problem themselves.
A year later, these fingers are still crossed.