Mon Cher Michel: The Final Chapter (Til The DVD's Start Shipping)

WELL, HERE'S WHAT might be the final word -- my response to Michel Arpin's rather chilly letter regarding that infamous Playback interview. (Follow the whole saga here.)

In what's becoming a regular occurrence here in Sticksville, I'm bowled over by the response I've gotten to this off the blog, where it can't be tracked, traced, or parsed by "the powerful." At last count, I had received about twelve phone calls/emails/texts/answering machine messages, about eight Facebook "right ons" and two random fist bumps (okay, maybe not so random -- I was in the CBC building.) The subtext to all these off-the-blog messages was the same, "thank you, but please don't use my name, because I'm afraid of the CRTC."

If I was the Chairman -- that alone would give me pause.

Finally, a source within Playback has told me that it was the opinion of people there that Arpin was trying to be funny to get past the question.

Har dee har.

But the desire to jest your way out of the question, or to jest about a subject that literally affects thousands of livelihoods...well, let's just say it hasn't been the finest hour for our Broadcast regulator.

Now, for pity's sake, enough of this...I'm going to go write something.

Dear Mr. Arpin,

Thank you so very much for your timely response. It's a matter of some relief to hear that drama and feature films are indeed an important part of your viewing menu.

I hope you understand that the concerns expressed in my letter, and the other letters you received, come from a place of great love for and attachment to the legacy of broadcasting in this country, the legacy that -- as you rightly point out -- you have served yourself for nearly four decades.

However, someone with your long experience in the media will doubtless understand the power and potential pitfalls that come with the magnifying power of words.

The remarks in Playback touched a nerve because they seemed to demonstrate an attitude we've seen from you before; an attitude that appeared quite hostile to the interests of creative media writers, actors, and directors in this country. Creatives' most memorable interaction with the CRTC in recent history was the 1999 decision that relaxed Broadcaster commitments to homegrown drama. A decision made in the name of "flexibility" destroyed the foundation of that industry for years to come, and drove out thousands of creatives. So maybe we are a bit jumpy. But really, can you blame us?

By the way, many of those people can still be found making television - but they're now making American television in the USA. Whether or not that was the intent, that was the effect. The effect on our corner of the industry was profound. We've yet to fully recover. And in that time, broadcaster spending on American product has increased tenfold.

Separate and apart from your comments regarding your personal viewing habits, your answer to the question about the decline of drama amounted to, "well, that's a guild thing." But it's not. It's a Canadian thing. It goes to the very heart of your job and the Commission's mandate, and your answer raises serious doubts about the very neutrality you claim to be striving for. You either are for the protection of the Canadian industry, or you are not. A mandate where you protect those who sell ad time, and distribute signals, but not those who generate content (outside of news content) is intellectually and practically inconsistent.

It's my fervent desire that Canadian BDU's and Broadcasters be allowed to build robust companies. In theory, it's a rising tide that floats all boats. All we ask is the same degree of consideration and respect as you show to the BDU's and Broadcasters.

But it's not my intent here to berate a man with a long history of public service. It's my fervent hope that the next time someone asks you about a Canadian show you might have enjoyed, you'll have a ready answer. That's why a group of concerned citizens is working out a way to supply you with a selection of high quality series and films over the next year. We can't promise that every one will be your cup of tea. But if you give them a fair shake, I'm fairly sure that some of them will make you a fan, just like millions of other Canadians who watch homegrown product each year.

You've got a busy year ahead of you on the Commission. I wish you the wisdom and the patience to balance all the interests and come up with a framework that is truly best for all Canadians.

Sincerely,

Denis McGrath
Screenwriter & Canadian