YOU MAY HAVE cause to argue, but most of the time on this blog I try to write about stuff I know stuff about. Today is not going to be one of those columns. In fact, I don't really know what I'm going to say, beyond a few simple truths.
The license renewals are coming up for Canadian Broadcasters. The CRTC recently signaled that they're going to give one-year renewals to the various broadcasters, and have a fuller hearing next year by Broadcast group. So rather than talk about CTV, or Global (if they're still around), they'll talk about all their properties together -- the OTA (over the air) "network" channels that are losing Ad money hand over fist, and the specialty channels, which are doing well because they have a combination of ad revenue and subscription fee to fall back on.
In the meantime, leading up to the hearings, there's a lot of posturing. Canwest is just trying to survive -- after making about seven or eight years worth of really bad business decisions (long predating the current recession.) But CTV is making the boldest moves -- moves some people are saying are designed to try to steamroll the CRTC in doing what they want them to do.
Last week they announced that they're closing two of the stations that they bought in the CHUM merger, because they're no longer viable. This morning, they basically canceled all local programming in Ottawa and London and several other stations. No local news, no local weather. No nothing.
Ironically, Citytv, the stations that CTV tried to swallow (til the CRTC made them sell them off to Rogers for fear of concentration) was a station that built itself and its reputation by being aggressively and completely local in focus. They turned away from that by the time of the CHUM sale. More great media decisionmaking. Man, these execs, I tell you. If I put together a story like these guys ran their businesses...
Here's where it gets intersesting. The Conservative Government, who never met a play out of the Karl Rove playbook they didn't like, has a habit of using the media in a particular way. They go around the national media, who presumably are prepped and tough on political matters, and try to get their message to the people by doing loads of local news interviews, where presumably the questions will be softer. If you're a back bencher, the only time you're ever going to get on the tube is if you do local stuff.
So right now the once-upon-a-time business that for years was called a "license to print money" is smacking up against Government strategy.
It's a measure of how cynical our times have become that I think that that's actually the strongest reason to believe the government might want to do something.
The other argument, of course, is that if you cancel all local programming, don't provide news, or weather, or anything different, why do you exist at all?
It seems to me the most dangerous game CTV is playing with this move is that somebody -- maybe a consumer group, might just wake up and say, "hang on a second. No news. No local stuff. You don't do any original programming (because believe me, being let out of that is the next thing they'll ask for) -- and all you show is the same American shows that are on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX..."
"But we already get those channels."
When you watch cable in the USA you see a lot of crap...but there's also plenty of smart and innovative shows in lots of genres. Meanwhile, on the Canadian specialties, it seems every time they get swallowed up, you get the same reruns spread around thinner.
"See CSI the way it was meant to be seen... on Showcase."
Yeah. I didn't think so.
I don't know where this ends. I really don't. And yup, I'm not a smart businessman, which I guess means I haven't lost millions of dollars and gone through gobbledy gobbledy mergers that just two years ago I said were essential...essential! to the health of the industry.
But for the first time, I don't feel anything about this. I'm just tired. I feel terrible for all the hardworking people who are losing their jobs because of short term bad decisionmaking, and, I suspect, not a little brinksmanship. But the thing I do? I'll do it down the line for somebody else.
A story teller can always tell stories. You can't do the news without a newscast.
I'll tell you another thing. For the first time I can remember, I actually feel a little sorry for the people on the CRTC.
I'm sure that'll be short lived, but still.
Round and round it goes, and where this stops?
You got me.
For all the bitching and moaning, thank God there's the CBC. For a lot of Canadians, a CBC station might be their only local media left. Soon.
10 comments:
I'm not sure I'm going to weep at the disappearance of local TV news. I think more and more people get their news from the Internet. Local TV news seems to be mostly sensationalist "if it bleeds it leads" stories about biker gangs and child molesters, with the occasional human interest feature thrown in. As you say, local newscasters are easier to for local politicians to snooker or pressure. And seriously, weather? Who depends on TV weather? Certainly none of your blog readers.
I think Canada deserves its own government-supported culture. But I'd rather the government spend its money on LES BOYS and THE BORDER than TV "news."
i'd certainly watch an episode of the border if it was about child molesting bike gangs...
gotta go, gotta idea...
Alex - I appreciate your opinions on this are, as always, strongly held. But I don't think they're actually very on point.
Local stations spent most of the 1990's and early 2000's falling over themselves to out-weather each other. don't you remember the weather porn doppler this and that promos? Weather, in fact, is a significant draw to local news, which is why they pour so much money into the gimmicks, and why Weather people in the big markets like Toronto tend to be very well compensated.
And the coverage of local sports, and the community-building aspect of local news is something that you shouldn't be so quick to flip off, either.
I understand you didn't have the experience of working inside TV stations and seeing the impact of the news up close. But the reality is that in the local station business, as the news goes so goes the station.
I may agree with you about the drama thing, but there is another view, it's a valid view, and it doesn't help our side of the table to dismiss it that cavalierly.
Local news is, in many markets, a great lead in. The audience for local morning radio in the country is enormous, so there is interest and appetite. Banking on imported shows available elsewhere, and shortly on demand (or illegally) via the internet, will be their demise. They will be redundant portals. Putting the merits of local stuff aside I think it is unwise to ditch them in the long run. And are not the arguements for local content very much the same as those for Canadian content?
Alex, one point you may not have considered is that if you live in a small market area and don't actually get high speed, news or anything more complicated than email on dial up internet is impossible. In the regions, they count on these channels as lifelifes to communicate within the region and as an eye to the outside area.
I agree with Caroline.
I live in one of the markets served by an "A" Channel that is downsizing. Although that's only a half hour from Toronto, the weather and traffic reports from their stations are absolutely useless to me.
We also have fires, gang issues, missing kids and bank robberies you'd never hear about if it wasn't for the local news.
And forget the local politician angle. Unless there's an election on, the local MP gets no airtime and when an election's on all parties get equal time.
You're absolutely correct that this is all being done to cover years of mismanagement.
And you know what -- the minute they're gone somebody else will step in to take them over and run them better. Differently -- but better.
Interesting. Is this an opportunity for a new Ted Rogers-type to start local stations?
I'm kinda surprised that CTVglobemedia has the right to shutdown A's local news. When French network TQS was having issues, didn't the CRTC force them to keep some news? Then again, that was one of the major French nets, not a 2nd class English net but still.
I'm not an expert in TV regulation but do stations have a requirement to offer news/local content? Or does it all fall under CanCon?
I actually hear a rumour that someone is trying to raise the cash to buy the As and the Es outright to create a new network, but not sure if they will get the dough together. Hoping they do!
There isn't an explicit requirement to provide news but in my view, CTV is playing a dangerous game with the CRTC and Ivan is in serious risk of getting slapping down hard by Konrad.
Part of the tradeoff for getting access to the public airwaves is to provide service to local markets. I think these broadcasters have all conveniently forgotten they ARE public airwaves and owned by all Canadians and not corporations. There is a sense of entitlement that frankly is annoying.
It is the same thing that happened with the airlines years ago ... they all promised a bunch and then when they all got licensed they started dropping service to the regions and raising prices. Let's hope we fair better in broadcasting that Wardair did in the skies.
For decades, local stations were profitable. No reason why they can't be again. If anything, the biggest surge in ad revenues right now is from local market ads from mom and pop businesses, not big national buys. The broadcasters have to stop whinging and look at how they are doing business and how they've screwed themselves over by creating a system that is so competitive and adversarial.
In countries like New Zealand, they buy foreign programs in a very civilized way, almost like a draft pick, so that prices don't spiral out of control. Like reasonable people. And it works for everyone (except for the big studios, and I'm not feeling too sorry for them).
Paul: Either start a new local station(Prince Albert or Kingston, perhaps), or take over one that's about to be scrapped otherwise(see Brandon and Hamilton for two examples). Either way, I don't see a problem with the idea of one or more hungry new players coming to the Canadian TV table.
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