TORONTO – Bell Media set to cancel Discovery's Daily Planet next week after 23 seasons and Space's Innerspace after nine cycles, and the CBC ending its daytime lifestyle series The Goods marks no major retreat from in-house production, both broadcasters insist, only a practical acceptance they must move faster to check Netflix, Google and fast-expanding digital platforms.
Here, the shift from traditional TV to digital video, while certainly not happening quickly or seamlessly, does have Canadian broadcasters tackling production costs amid falling TV ad revenues and growing streaming competition. “This decision is part of CBC's ongoing redirection of programming budgets from television to digital content as the organization continues to focus on digital transformation as a strategic priority," a CBC spokeswoman told Cartt.ca on Monday.
And Bell Media, while sticking with The Social, eTalk and The Marilyn Denis Show, is cancelling the two aforementioned shows as their in-house production costs weigh heavily as TV viewers steadily move to Netflix Canada and elsewhere digitally. “This programming change reflects the significant financial pressures Bell Media faces in a broadcasting industry defined by growing international competition, evolving viewing options and an uncertain regulatory framework,” a Bell Media spokesman said.
The broadcasters remain committed to a slew of news, sports and music programming produced in-house, not least as Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) obligations remain in place across the industry.
But the CBC is shifting lifestyle content to its digital portal CBC Life, even as higher profile factual shows like Dragons' Den, Canada's Smartest Person Junior and CBC Arts: Exhibitionists, The Filmmakers and Air Farce specials – and a slew of CBC Kids fare – continue to be produced in-house.
Bell Media is also shifting its dollars more to “brand-friendly” lifestyle and reality shows, like Dog Tales Rescue and Where to I Do?, which Bell Media Studios is co-producing with Motion Content Group, the British ad giant WPP’s programming division, for international markets.
Motion Content Group already co-develops and produces dramas with CHCH, including The Pinkertons, which is syndicated in the U.S. byRohrs Media Group. WPP is also an investor in Fullscreen, which has its own digital media partnership with the CBC.
There's nothing new about brand-friendly programming, especially where media agency giant GroupM, also aligned with WPP, buys ad inventory upfront, but while producing their own in-house shows allows Canadian broadcasters to own and control their rights, they also absorb all the financial costs and risks.
So, the continuing migration of eyeballs and ad dollars to digital has broadcasters hedging their bets in the online realm, and embracing product integration and other marketing dollars upfront as they develop traditional TV fare. "Having most if not all the costs covered before you even get started is very appealing in this environment where you may or may not get the ratings and the ad dollars are not what they used to be," Kaan Yigit, president of Toronto’s Solutions Research Group, told Cartt.ca in an interview.
