BANFF – The independent production community got a close look at the new terms of trade agreement on Tuesday during a standing room only breakfast session with the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) and representatives from Corus and Bell Media here at the Banff World Media Festival.
The deal, which was struck in April, applies to all independent productions produced by English-language Canadian independent television producers and private broadcasters Astral, Bell Media, Rogers Broadcasting, Shaw Media and Corus. Its terms, which came into effect on June 1st, apply to the entire life cycle of a show – from first pitch, through to development, production and broadcast on all platforms. The financial terms of the agreement will come in to effect on August 1st, and the transitional period will end on September 1, 2011.
While noting that there are “still lots of lumps in the gravy”, CMPA president and CEO Norm Bolen called the 20-page document “an important tool”.
“I’m already feeling a renewed sense of partnership between the independent production community and the broadcasters”, he said to open the session. “The broadcasters came to the table with open minds, with tough positions, and were hard bargainers, but they had a spirit of collaboration. They also worked very hard together amongst themselves because we have to recall that they all compete with one another, and they had to come together to figure out a way to work with us on common ground. And it went really well.”
The expiry of the terms of trade agreement is tied to the CRTC license renewals. Key areas covered by the deal include development and evaluation; licensing conditions; editorial control; licence term; rights; equity; super licence fees; producer tax credits; and timeframe and administration.
Corrie Coe, SVP of independent production for Bell Media, called the agreement a “cumbersome document”, but encouraged producers to familiarize themselves with it (click here for a copy of the agreement).
“I think one of the biggest wins, if you guys want to put it that way, is that now this document provides for standardized terms and standardized business practices across the broadcasters, because it’s clear to me, having gone through the process, that we had very different terms and practices, some of which that were probably tougher and some that were probably less”, she said. “The comfort is that you now know exactly what you’ve got and what you’re dealing with.”
Even CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein offered his congratulations to both sides during his breakfast speech on Monday.
“This self-regulation, I think, is the best form of regulation”, he said. “The industry cuts a deal, works something out and then brings it to us and we look at it.”
Bolen said that the CMPA will roll out educational sessions across the country this summer as well as conduct on-line and telephone Q&A sessions to bring its members up to speed on the new deal.
“The important thing for us was to make sure that we gave the broadcasters the rights they needed in order to be successful businesses in exchange for their license fee”, he added. “We are nowhere if the broadcasters are not successful, we are co-dependent forever.”
Cartt.ca senior editor Lesley Hunter is in Banff this week covering the 2011 Banff World Media Festival.
