HOO BOY. This is breaking. I'll edit and attach the WGC release when it goes out later today. The CRTC decision is in on the CTF. Sooprise, sooprise. They're splitting the fund in two.
You may remember that this contretemps started when fatuous gasbag Jim Shaw stamped his little troll feet and said, "why do I have to write a check for Trailer Park Boys?"
Oh, what fun was had when rich cable companies decided to shirk their responsibilities -- the commitments they'd made for market protection and the right to gouge you and I more -- and decided they simply wouldn't pay!
They prompted a whole nice big 'ol review, and a disastrous report that nobody liked recommending the CTF be split into two funds -- one for "cultural" programming and one for more "commercial" fare. The commercial fund would be able to fund so-called 8/10 programs -- that means they could use either American stars or writers, and still qualify.
The outpouring of attention and letters to the CRTC on the matter led to hearings, and near the end of those hearings it became pretty clear by the attitude of some of the commissioners that this two fund thing was a done deal.
Well, so it is.
But not so fast, because Jimmy Jims didn't get all he wanted.
Both funds, the "commercial" and the "cultural" will still have to fund only 10/10 fully Canadian programs.
The CTF will also administer both funds. I'm sure that Jim will be happy to hear that.
So the worst part of this whole stupid, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic affair was beaten back, thanks in no small part to the tireless efforts of organizations like the Writers Guild of Canada.
I would love to know, now, seeing as I'm right in the middle of a Blue Draft of The Border -- is that show cultural, or commercial?
Should I throw in a string quartet? Irish dancing? Boobs? What?
In case you're scoring along at home, the net result of this is yes, they have actually found a way to introduce another level of paper-shuffling and bureaucracy to the process of making TV in this fine country.
So you see -- we all win!
Sharpen those pencils, kids....we gots more forms to fill out! Yeeee-hahhhh!
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