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Quebecor Media subsidiary Videotron proposed an increase in community television funding Tuesday.
At the CRTC's hearings to review the community television policy framework, Videotron proposed that cable companies with more than 20,000 customers be required to put five per cent of their revenues into community television.
Currently, cable providers with more than 20,000 customers are only required to dedicate two per cent of their revenues to community television. In an effort to better serve small communities, cable companies with fewer than 20,000 customers are also obligated to pay five per cent of their revenues into community channels.
Quebec's largest cable company said the community television system generally works fine under the existing framework, but suggested a few changes.
"A change to the contribution regime to allow cable networks with 20,000 customers or more to benefit from five per cent of the company's revenues," Eric Fournier, general manager of Vox, Videotron's community television service, told the commission.
Fournier said the discrepancy between the funding contributions, based on different subscriber levels, creates instability in smaller communities.
"Right now, community television stations with 20,000 customers or less receive five per cent of revenues. However, as soon as a station has more than 20,000 customers, the portion of the contribution falls to two per cent."
But the province's independent community television channels said funding dollars are not distributed fairly.
"We believe the objectives of the community television review in 2002 have been achieved and that no fundamental changes to the sector are needed," Fournier said.
Through Vox, Videotron offers 31 community television channels in Quebec. Of those, 21 are operated by independent and non-profit organizations producing community television, and Videotron produces content on 10 stations.
The company also asked the CRTC to authorize advertising on community channels in regions where there are no commercial radio or television stations.
"Are you aware of any communities without commercial radio or television?" Konrad von Finckenstein, chairman of the CRTC, asked Videotron.
"There are not that many, to be honest," replied Edouard Trepanier, Quebecor Media's vice-president of regulatory affairs.
The Federation des televisions communautaires autonomes du Quebec also proposed to the commission that one per cent of the revenues from cable companies with more than 20,000 customers be allocated to community access programming.
The Federation represents 46 independent community television stations in Quebec. The group has argued that while overall funding for community television is sufficient, the money has not been distributed fairly.
But Videotron asked the committee that it be able to continue supporting independent community television stations outside of its network on a voluntary basis.
"Why try to destroy and rebuild a system that works and has worked well for 40 years?" asked Trepanier.
"When there was an obligation to finance independent groups, before 2002, it created a situation of dependence where we had to sign the cheque and could not be late. Today we are in back and forth communication [with community groups] and I don't believe our financing is any less than it was back in 2002, but now we're doing it for the right reasons."
CRTC commissioner Michel Morin questioned Videotron's efforts to provide community access.
"According to a study by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters [CAB], between Jan. 25 and 31, 2010, shows with recognized television personalities in Quebec occupied 70 per cent of the primetime schedule on the Vox channels," Morin said, suggesting the airtime was not used for community access programming.
"Does this mean you freeze community access television to 30 per cent airtime?"
"Community access programming is not systemically blocked at 30 per cent," Fournier said.
"It's a question of interpretation. If you were asking me personally, almost all of our programming would qualify as community access, but that isn't the case under current regulations."
Gerald Gauthier, head of research and development with the Federation, said that 15 of the organization's member stations do not receive any funding from cable companies.
"There are independent community television stations that receive a lot of money from Videotron, but they are situated in and around Montreal," Gauthier said.
Morin asked the Federation if it would consider raising its own funds at the community level if the CRTC was to allocate to them one per cent of cable subscriber revenues.
"We are already soliciting our viewers [for donations]," said Sylvain Racine, administrator and treasurer with the Federation.
"[But] always looking for money from the viewer is something we want to avoid because they're already paying enough for cable and everything else."
Source: The Wire Report, 04/27/2010
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