A Plea From Me, To You, Re: CRTC (and this will be the very last time, promise!)

YOU'VE HEARD from me on this issue. So now, finally, I'll end my week on the words of others. Other letters sent to oppose the CRTC's disastrous proposals for "reforming" the Canadian Television Fund.

But before I do that, I ask simply this:

Are you Canadian? (Americans, those of you hanging in still, I'm very sorry about this. I have to give that shout out to the Americans because the Brits and Aussies and Citizens of Other Countries probably understand a bit better the nature of the hand to mouth homegrown TV industry.)

Have you ever read and enjoyed this blog?

Do you like Television?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that if you are a reader of Dead Things On Sticks then you do enjoy TV. And that's why I'm going to ask you to do something for me.

Please, make a submission to the CRTC about this issue.

Make it if you're a fan of Corner Gas, or Degrassi, or Little Mosque. Or even Canadian Idol. Make it if you watch Trailer Park Boys. Make it if you like British TV too -- if you like The Office, Cracker, Life On Mars, or Hustle. Make a submission if you would like your viewing palette to be something other than what a handful of ever-larger American entertainment conglomerates decides you should see.

A pretty wise person I know reminds me now and again that a lot of the arguments we creatives make seem to be self-serving -- that we're trying to save our own jobs. And there is that. I get that.

But at the same time there is a tangible benefit to you. If you're a fan of the Canadian shows I've mentioned above, you've already seen it. If not, well, then all that means is that we haven't hit the show that moves and speaks to you-- yet. The only way we will is if we continue to work, and try to carve out a little space not for American-based companies, or Canadian-in-name-only artists -- but for us.

You pay for cable. Or satellite. And you get U.S. networks. And probably some of you get specialty channels too. And you want to be able to see good shows -- you want value for your money. But you're not getting value. Right now, all you're getting is U.S. shows on Canadian channels at the same time as they show on the U.S. Channels. That's a duplication you pay extra for, but see no extra benefit for. You might subscribe to channels like The History Channel because you like history; instead you're getting CSI reruns. There are all these cable channels that are showing the same stuff -- because the CRTC lets them do it.

The whole review of the CTF was sparked by two cable companies who suddenly decided they didn't want to abide by the deal they made ten years ago -- a deal for which they received a very cushy, protected market -- a deal where they benefited and you paid more to get less.

Just a few weeks ago, the CRTC decided to lift the limits on Ads on TV. That's right. Soon you'll be seeing more commercials. What did you get in return?

I know you sometimes don't get good Canadian shows. I recognize that some of them need to be better. I'm one of a whole bunch of people really working very hard to try to get them that way. So that you're entertained, and more -- so that maybe when you turn on your TV you're not seeing a totally American worldview.

The whole point of the way the CRTC has put out this "call for comments" was to leave a short timeline in the middle of the summer hoping that they could slide this through again because you don't care. They're counting on you not to care.

Care.

It would do my heart good to know that among the interventions the CRTC gets by end of day tomorrow, that there were viewer letters in there. The airwaves, theoretically, belong to you.

I'd like you to have good TV. And if you're not one of the two million who watch Mosque, or Corner Gas, or the close to a million who watch Trailer Park Boys, then maybe that next show down the pike will be for you. Maybe it'll be The Border. Or Maybe Blood Ties. Or J-Pod...

If you write that letter, at least the CRTC will know that every once in a while, they actually have to think about the people they serve.

How do you do it?

As Will Dixon put it:

If you've made it this far down the page, go HERE where you'll find Notice 2007-70...scroll down to where it says you can submit comments, click and write up a comment (preferably opposed), follow the prompts and submit it by tomorrow Friday July 27.

Thanks, D.

Now, some excerpts from other people's letters:

And here we are again, defending our talent to our own. Again. Some days I wonder there are any of us left to fight off the self-serving private interests who believe an American actor or director or writer will solve their endemic creative management issues. I can already assure you here that those companies cannot afford quality foreign talent on the prices they are willing to pay, here. More importantly, ‘hits’ are cultivated by responsible entertainment professionals in collaboration with willing broadcasters. Hits are not bought, and they do not travel exclusively with non-Canadian passports.

Imagine seeking US pre-sales of Little Mosque on the Prairie, Da Vinici’s Inquest, The Trailer Park Boys, Degrassi, or Da Kink In My Hair with mainstream American networks. These shows are only possible, can only exist because of the unique experiences their authors forged as a result of their uniquely Canadian perspectives – in a uniquely Canadian system that recognizes their value over their subscriptions to any given moray of the day. Other nations have no trouble seeing our talent and our experiences as vital to a dynamic and diverse world programming experience. In fact, we – Canadian writers, performers, directors – are actively sought by foreign markets precisely because we are NOT liable to cookie-cut for what is already widely available in the mass market.

Only in Canada do we constantly question our own talent’s bankability, and so its validity. Why is that?

Professionally & culturally, any plan to cut back on the development of 10/10 Canadian-content programmes seems equally self-defeatist. If one wishes to improve upon a product, one invests in its development – and well. And in those capable of developing it in a manner that reflects its purpose: professional Canadian artists, telling our stories to our country, and to the world. It is the poverty of the development economy and a great deal of short-sighted thinking about the health of our creative communities that directly impacts the quality of the resulting productions, not the calibre and potential of its creative talent. Cutting back on development is like sending soldiers to a war with fewer guns so you can pinch a few pennies on the cost of ammunition.

KAREN WALTON -- Writer, Ginger Snaps, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe, The Eleventh Hour, Queer as Folk, Straight Up

Splitting the CTF into a “Heritage” pool and a “Broadcast Distribution Undertakings” pool will only hinder those of us who are already fighting for recognition in this industry. Adding that the CBC will also be pulling from this smaller pool is even more disheartening as it continues to limit the venues for which we young Canadians may take to display our talent. What was once an already small, competitive market will fall upon itself like rabid dogs, fighting for whatever scraps are available. You may believe that this will make us stronger and better but what this will do is destroy any hope of true individuality. If you want Canadian-ized carbon copies of American shows, this is truly the path you must take.

But they will not be our vision. And they will not have our heart and our unique perspective – things which Americans prize above all else in our stories.

Our voice is distinctive because we as a people are distinctive - and the moment you crush that delicate balance, the moment you push us away in favour of flashy titles and bumping, soulless music, you lose that. It will simply fade away and you may never get it back.

A long time ago, when I was in high school a man once asked me: “What makes a Canadian different from an American?” He was being facetious, thinking that there really was no answer. And as a young child growing up with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air instead of Hockey Night in Canada, I really had no answer to give. Like most Canadians, I don’t think many would be able to answer that question.

But I can. And the answer is quite simple:

Roots.

No one growing up in Wyoming will ever understand the struggles of a single mother raising her three children in a town like Napanee or Deseronto. No one living in the fast-paced world of LA will ever be able to truly grasp the harsh life but loving nature of the Newfoundlanders or the laid back, kindly style of British Columbia.
And nor should they for they are OUR stories to tell.

Please, sir, do not lock out the very voices you claim you wish to hear.

BRANDON LARABY, New Writer

I passed on a ‘respected’ career as a doctor in favour of becoming a Canadian writer and contributing my voice to our country. With the passing of the recommendations in the Task Force Report, my decision to take the road less travelled (a harder road of tough times and struggle) will be sacrificed on the altar of the “Hollywood” sign.

I wish I could say that I am a successful scribe with many credits to my name, but I did mention above that it has been a tough road. Under existing conditions I often find myself at the door of a producer being told, “We need some work done on the project, but we have nothing in the budget for a writer.” Or, “We need some research done – we’re desperate due to our timeline, but we only need you for a day or two and there are only a few bucks in it for you.” If you go ahead with the recommendations I will no longer even see myself in their offices scrabbling for bits and pieces.

I grew up preferring to watch BBC television programs over American programs. As a writer I studied them and their creators carefully, snapping up any interviews or articles; the singular thing that stood out was the dedication to quality in writing and crafting the programs. They never fell prey to the cheap tricks and “crutches” of American TV. Now the Americans are jumping on BBC productions at a near record pace and making U.S. versions. Why? Because quality transcends borders – it has a universal appeal. The BBC has years on Canadian productions – we’re young and finding our way out from under the Hollywood monolith. But how will Canada make our “Doctor Who”, or our “The Office”, if we throw ourselves in front of the American TV production train. (If you have a beloved BBC series that crossed the pond to the U.S. watch it again – then watch the American version. How comfortable would you be with throwing the BBC version in the trash for all eternity?)

JAYSON M. KOWAL, Writer and Multimedia Producer

Great stuff. Hope there's more like them.

And with that I take my leave for a bit. This blog will be on Vacation til at least the middle of next week. Daddy needs some recharge. Best.