Does local TV programming matter to you?

The CRTC wants to hear from Canadians about local TV programming. Up for debate is the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF), which aims to support local programming for communities outside large metropolitan markets. Currently, LPIF is funded by major satellite and television cable distributors, like Rogers and Shaw, who contribute 1.5% of their gross revenues. The $100 million fund pays for locally-produced programming across Canada and about 75 local Canadian stations currently receive support from the fund. The LPIF was behind some controversy in 2009, when Big Cable insisted the fund is on par with ‘hidden TV tax’ for consumers. Local Canadian stations—which had been struggling for funding—disagreed, and continued to advocate for more support amidst declining revenues.

Since 2009, however, the market has changed drastically. Big cable companies such as Bell, Rogers and Shaw have acquired several broadcast networks such as CTV, CityTV and Omni, making the Canadian TV market a much smaller playing field. In turn, as a recent report from the CBC notes, while Big Cable companies are “required to pay into the LPIF… their broadcast networks can draw [right back] from the fund.”

As the CRTC evaluates whether to ‘maintain, modify, or cancel’ the LPIF fund, it wants to hear from Canadians like you on the following issues:

• evaluation of the fund’s objectives and the performance of recipient stations;
• additional spending on local programming as a condition for receiving funding;
• eligibility for the fund and the funding allocation formula;
• cable and satellite companies’ contributions to the fund; and
• the relevance of maintaining, modifying or abandoning the fund (CRTC).

Check out the CRTC website to see how you can participate and be heard. You can submit comments online here, send a fax, or attend the public hearings on April 16, 2012 in Gatineau, Quebec.