The largest producers in the Quebec television industry are standing together and calling on the Liberals to respect their campaign promises. In a letter sent this week to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Heritage, they implore the government to double its contribution to the Canada Media Fund, which helps finance a large part of the industry.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
The Media Fund (MCF) is currently funded in part by the federal government, but also by cable companies. However, the wave of cable unsubscriptions caused a drop in revenues for these companies, which inevitably resulted in a constant reduction in their contribution to the FMC. While in 2016-2017, they financed the FMC to the tune of more than 216 million, it is estimated that their participation will amount to less than 124 million dollars in 2026-2027, if the trend continues.
To mitigate the disengagement of cable operators, the government has already agreed on an additional envelope capped at 42.5 million per year for the FMC. Under the news Online streaming lawonline streaming services, such as Netflix, will be required to pay part of their revenues to the Media Fund.
However, these new sources of revenue are largely insufficient to make up for the losses caused by cable unsubscriptions, argue Quebec producers, who maintain that a reduction in the budget of the Media Fund would have dramatic repercussions on the television industry.
“The support of the federal government is fundamental and urgent in maintaining a vibrant, quality French-language television industry that continues to bring together loyal national audiences, week after week,” it is argued in a letter, including The Press got a copy.
Double funding
Guillaume Lspérance, who is among other things the producer of Bye Byeis the author of this letter sent Monday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to the Minister of Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, and to her colleague in Finance, Chrystia Freeland.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, ARCHIVES SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Producer Guillaume Lspérance is the author of the letter, co-signed in particular by Fabienne Larouche and Louis Morissette.
Several other producers supported the initiative, including Fabienne Larouche and Louis Morissette. Benoît Clermont of Productions Déferlantes (The voice, Masked singers) and Nicola Merola from Pixcom (Indefensible, Alerts) are also among the signatories.
With one voice, they ask the government to increase its total funding to the FMC by $143 million. They recall that the Liberals committed during the 2019 campaign to doubling public funding for the Media Fund.
“Although your government has granted one-off amounts through Canadian Heritage for diversity and French-speaking content, they have never reached the promised level,” we deplore in the letter.
Increase the share of French-speaking production
The 16 signatory producers also returned to the charge regarding another Liberal election promise: that of increasing the share of the FMC budget intended for French-language production. Currently, approximately 33% of the sums distributed by the FMC are allocated to French-language programs. The Liberals promised to increase this threshold to 40%, which is still a long time coming.
To put pressure on the Trudeau government, the 16 producers did not fail to point out in their letter that French-speaking Quebec television is doing much better than that of English Canada, even if it benefits from fewer resources. During the year 2022-2023, 26 of the French-language programs supported by the FMC exceeded one million in audience ratings, compared to barely two in English.
Without the contribution of the CMF, we would never have been able to produce these programs which entertained and moved such a large audience. The CMF is the cornerstone of television and digital media funding in Canada.
Excerpt from the letter
The Media Fund mainly finances fiction, but also variety, documentaries and children’s programs. On average, the CMF represents a little less than a fifth of the production budget of the shows it finances.
Government response
Joined by The Press On Thursday, the office of the Minister of Heritage avoided specifying whether the government’s commitments regarding the CMF will be delivered by the end of the mandate.
Minister St-Onge’s office believes that the Online streaming law should help the Media Fund, as digital platforms will have to contribute to it.
The government prides itself on having invested 1.5 billion in the CMF since 2016. “Our government will always support artists and the creation of Canadian content, unlike Pierre Poilievre’s party which threatens to cut jobs, information based on facts and productions made by us and for us,” we took care to add.
