MAYBE YOU'RE A masochist. I don't know. I mean, I know why I am keeping an eye on the current CRTC hearings. They directly affect my livelihood. But now that Canadians have been bombarded with five months of misleading advertisements from both "sides" in the Fee-for-carriage (wait, this just in, new jargon...now it's "Value for Signal." Oh MY GOD that fixes EVERYTHING!!!!) debate, maybe there might be some civilians who tune in and take a peek. And then hit a horrible jargon wall.
In the spirit of that, here is a handy jargon Decoder ring, courtesy of the Writers Guild of Canada. (Thanks David Kinahan!+ Kelly Lynne Ashton from the WGC!)
WGC’s Magic Policy Hearing Decoder Ring:
The following concepts and acronyms are being thrown around with abandon. Here are a few ‘plain english’ explanations. We’ll try not to define acronyms with acronyms.
FFC – Fee for carriage. Over the air broadcasters want to be paid by the cable and satellite companies for carrying their signal. Cable and satellite have never paid for over the air, only specialty and pay services.
VFS – Value for Signal. This is a new term for fee for carriage artificially imposed by the CRTC.
NVS – Negotiated Value for Signal – what CTV calls fee for carriage.
OTA – Over the air television, also known as conventional television. CTV, Global, CBC and others.
BDU – broadcast distribution undertaking. This is the Broadcasting Act definition of cable and satellite operators
DTH – Direct to home satellite.
VOD – Video on Demand
CMF – Canada Media Fund. Used almost interchangeably with predecessor
CTF (Canadian Television Fund -- soon to be CMF - Canada Media Fund)
LPIF – Local Programming Improvement Fund. This fund, which started September 1, 2009, was created by the CRTC as a way of helping local programming for smaller markets (ie not markets with population over 1 million). It is funded by 1.5% of revenues to be paid by cable and satellite operators. This contribution has been passed on to consumers by the cable and satellite operators.
CPE – Canadian Programming Expenditure. Currently only specialty services have a CPE. At licence renewal they have a condition of licence that sets their CPE for the licence term based on their profitability (higher profits mean higher CPE) though the calculation is based on revenue (ie 30% of revenue). CPE is generally an expenditure requirement to be spent on all Canadian content rather than specific genres such as drama or docs.
Simultaneous Substitution – also known as Simulcast. This is the practice of Canadian conventional broadcasters being allowed to substitute Canadian ads (sold by them) in the broadcast signals of US programs aired by the Canadian broadcaster at the same time as the US broadcasts that program. So you see the US ads on NBC but the Canadian ads if you watch on CTV. This locks Canadian broadcasters into the US schedules but allows them to keep Canadian audiences watching the Canadian broadcaster.
Non-simultaneous Substitution – this means that the Canadian broadcaster would be able to insert the Canadian ads into programs broadcast at a different time than the US broadcast. There are technical and commercial problems with this. It is frequently raised but there seem to be too many difficulties.
Non-simultaneous Deletion – this is another way of saying protected program rights. If CTV has Desperate Housewives then the cable companies would have to delete the broadcast of ABC so there would be no broadcast of Desperate Housewives in Canada except on CTV.
Digital Transition – Analog signals are to be shut of August 31, 2011. Broadcasters have known this for a long time, it’s been postponed but they are dragging their feet building digital transmitters. They are also not willing to build enough transmitters to cover 100% of Canadians. About 10% to 20% of the population will not be covered and will lose access to television. There is also the problem of requiring Canadians to get cable or satellite in order to get television without over the air signals. There’s been a call for the government to help with that transition either by subsidizing the cost of transmitters or helping rural and/or poor Canadians with satellite dishes and/or set top boxes.
Priority Programming – in 1999 the policy was changed from direct support of drama and docs to exhibition requirements for priority programming in prime time. Priority programming is drama, docs, variety, entertainment magazine shows and regional programming of any kind except news and sports.
C'mon. Aren't you glad you asked?
The next fight -- watch this CPE thing. Remember that even if they do get spending and exhibition requirements (the only thing that's worked in the past to get CDN broadcasters to actually invest and show drama and comedy shows, that right now based on the 1999 ruling, they could easily spend it on more crappy ET Canada ripoff shows...cheapo magazine crap. "this week on Entertainment Tonight Canada -- Jean Claude Van Damme, Kate Gosselin and Ivanka Trump... cause as we all know, we all really need that essential Canadian spin on Ivanka Trump.)
Seriously, Aren't you glad you asked?
2 comments:
Actually, if they did an 'Entertainment Tonight' or 'TMZ'-styled 100% Canadian show, I'd be up for it.
As in if they were only allowed to focus on Canadian Artists.
It'd probably never fly, but anything that goes toward creating our own sort of Star-system here in Canada would be good.
Something that at least introduces our up-and-comers (and our pros) to the gen pop.
Maybe get some little girls screaming about how they waited in line at the ATM behind Atom Egoyan... :P
Just a small correction to your glossary entry to simultaneous substitution. It allows the Canadian broadcaster to replace the ads on both the American broadcast and the Canadian broadcast. That allows the Canadian broadcaster to charge more for the ads because they can use the double reach to claim more viewers.
Yet Mr. Fecan complains that having Flashpoint in simsub with CBS restricts his ability to program the show when he wants!!
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