“Canadian consumers and TV viewers deserve a choice, and a new affordable bundle of basic TV channels is a start,” said Hubert T. Lacroix, President and CEO for CBC/Radio-Canada. “With a regulated capped rate, Canadians will be protected from fee hikes with a skinny basic bundle of channels, including the local TV channels consumers demand and expect.”

“Canadians watch local television news and programming and they support it; these consultations have made that loud and clear,” said  Ivan Fecan, President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia, and Chief Executive Officer of CTV Inc.  “We want to continue to serve Canadian viewers and moving forward with the implementation of a negotiation for value regime now will lay the ground for a level playing field and sustainable future for local TV.”

“Local TV viewers deserve access to the local stations they are already paying for,” said Leonard Asper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canwest Global Communications Corp.  “Our solution will shift the balance towards the consumer, and ensure that viewers can access the local TV they demand.”

In the formal consultation process leading up to the current hearings being held at the direction of the Government of Canada, more than 130,000 Canadians submitted comments to the CRTC in support of local TV and its right to negotiate with cable and satellite companies.  Canada’s broadcasters continue to be overwhelmed by an outpouring of support from Canadian consumers and TV viewers across the country from coast to coast to coast.

About Local TV Matters:

Local TV Matters is a campaign launched by local Canadian television broadcasters with a focus on the protection and preservation of local television for viewers across Canada. The campaign encourages all Canadians to share their voice and support local television by visiting www.localtvmatters.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Bonnie Brownlee, CTV Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

416-384-7190 or Bonnie.Brownlee@ctv.ca

John Douglas, Canwest Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

204-227-1846 or jdouglas@canwest.com

Jeff Keay, Head of Media Relations, CBC

416-205-3987 or jeff.keay@cbc.ca

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear today as part of this historic proceeding.

We would also like to thank the Government, and particularly Minister Moore for providing this platform for Canadians to express themselves.  They did.  In record numbers.  And the results were overwhelmingly clear.

Canadians have spoken. They want affordable access to a diversity of Canadian services – including their local television services.

This is the first time our three organizations have sat jointly before this Commission. While we may not agree on all issues, we have common cause regarding the importance of the issues you are considering today and the sense of urgency we all feel regarding those matters.  To that end, our presentation is brief and to the point.

We have divided our presentation into three areas, which we believe go to the heart of the current proceeding:

1. Affordability;
2. Accessibility; and
3. Sustainability.

Read the rest of the Local TV Matters Opening Remarks.

“The conventional television financial model in Canada is collapsing,” said CBC/Radio-Canada President Hubert T. Lacroix. “Without a major correction that will allow conventional broadcasters to get a fair price for their signals, Canadians will have to start getting used to seeing stations shut down and high-quality programming disappear.”

Conventional broadcasters generate 90 per cent of the viewership for all original Canadian entertainment programming, but receive nothing for their signals – the same signals with which the cable and satellite companies are earning record profits, while charging consumers ever-increasing rates. It’s time for BDUs to start contributing to the survival of the system that has made them rich, without consumers being penalized.

“The broadcasting system needs to recognize what conventional broadcasters bring to the services that cable and satellite companies offer their customers,” added Hubert T. Lacroix. “The only way to do this is for BDUs to compensate conventional broadcasters fairly for the value of their signal.”

CBC/Radio-Canada presented the CRTC with a proposed regulatory framework for correcting the current inequities in the system, thus ensuring the future of conventional broadcasting and the survival of local content for the benefit of all Canadians.

CBC/Radio-Canada warned the CRTC that unless the system is rebalanced, the Corporation could not commit to maintaining its current level of production of local and Canadian content on its two conventional networks, given that they rely on declining advertising revenues for nearly 50 per cent of their funding.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

For further information: Angus McKinnon, Senior Advisor, Media Relations and Issues Management, CBC/Radio-Canada, (613) 288-6235, angus.mckinnon@cbc.ca

“Our plan is reasonable, practical and provides a future for local Canadian television,” said Ivan Fecan, President and Chief Executive Officer, CTVglobemedia, and Chief Executive Officer, CTV Inc. “Signals and programming from our local TV stations deliver value, and Canadian TV viewers and consumers overwhelmingly agree.”

At the centre of the CTV solution is the implementation of a made in Canada retransmission consent regime providing for Negotiation for Value (NFV) between broadcasters and TV distributors for local signals and programming.

“It’s time for TV distributors – not consumers – to compensate us for the value of our local services,” said Mr. Fecan. “We believe this new system will help ensure a viable broadcasting business in Canada benefiting viewers and consumers alike by offering more choice at affordable rates. We look forward to working with the Commission on implementing NFV within 2010.”

At a recent CRTC call for comments on implementing a compensation regime for the value of local television signals, an overwhelming 81% were in support of local TV.  A Nanos poll recently confirmed an overwhelming majority of Canadians, 70%, agree that local TV stations should receive a portion of the amount that customers pay on their monthly bill for cable or satellite TV. Further, 72% agree that the government should force cable companies and broadcasters to negotiate payment for local TV signals.

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For Further Information:

Bonnie Brownlee, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

416.384.7190 or bonnie.brownlee@ctv.ca

“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of clear and unequivocal support for our position,” said Paul Sparkes, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, CTVglobemedia. “Canadian consumers were not fooled, they understood the issues, and we can’t thank them enough.”

In comments submitted to the CRTC, Canadian consumers clearly recognized the value of local TV, urged the Commission to allow local TV the right to negotiate with cable and satellite companies, and called for the regulation of the cost of basic TV services.

In September, Heritage Minister James Moore directed the CRTC to consider consumers in the debate on the future of Canadian television. Consumers responded to the CRTC’s call for public comment. In four weeks, the Commission received more than 130,000 comments in support of local TV (and results continue to be tabulated).

“Heritage Minister Moore asked to hear from consumers, and Canadian consumers have spoken out loud and clear in support of local TV’, said Charlotte Bell, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Canwest.

About Local TV Matters:

Local TV Matters is a campaign launched by local Canadian television broadcasters with a focus on the protection and preservation of local television for viewers across Canada. Local TV Matters’ members include CTV, ‘A’, Global, CBC, CHEK NEWS, V and NTV, with thousands of supporters located across the country. The campaign encourages all Canadians to share their voice and support local television by joining the conversation at www.localtvmatters.ca.

An overwhelming majority of Canadians (70% of respondents) support the statement that “local TV stations should receive a portion of the amount that customers pay on their monthly bill for cable or satellite TV.”

Asked if “the government should force the cable companies and broadcasters to negotiate payment for local TV signals”, 72% agreed.  And a clear majority, 57%, agreed that “local TV stations will close if cable companies don’t pay for the local TV signals.”

“Canadians value local TV.  They believe they already pay for it and that the programming they value should be fairly compensated by the TV distributors,” says Nik Nanos, President of Nanos Research. “They are concerned about the loss of their local television stations and believe the government should take action to prevent that from happening.”

“Canadian consumers get it.  They’ve heard both sides of the argument and clearly support our position that cable and satellite companies must sit down and negotiate,” said Paul Sparkes, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, CTVglobemedia.  “We want to continue to deliver trusted local news and community programming, and Canadians are overwhelmingly behind us.”

In a media ad blitz launched in September, cable and satellite companies threatened to tax consumers with yet more fee hikes if the government forced them to pay for local TV signals.  An alliance of broadcasters set the record straight, explaining that cable companies pocket the money they charge for local TV, but pay nothing to the channels themselves for the right to carry local TV signals.

The random telephone survey of 1,005 Canadians was conducted from October 10 through October 18, 2009.  The margin of accuracy for a sample of 1,005 is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

About Nanos:

Established in 1987, Nanos Research is a full service public opinion research and management consulting firm. Nanos is regularly called upon by corporate, government and para-public clients in Canada and the United States to conduct research and provide strategic advice.

About Local TV Matters:

Local TV Matters is a campaign launched by local Canadian television broadcasters with a focus on the protection and preservation of local television for viewers across Canada. Local TV Matters’ members include CTV, ‘A’, Global, CBC, CHEK NEWS, V and NTV, with thousands of supporters located across the country. The campaign encourages all Canadians to share their voice and support local television by joining the conversation at www.localtvmatters.ca.

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DOWNLOAD STAT SHEET

The Cable Cash Cow meeting local residents in Moncton, New Brunswick.

What: Cable Cash Cow tour across Canada
Who: The Cable Cash Cow
Why: To support local television and make known the reality it faces today

Cable Cash Cow Tour October 25 in Ottawa

When: Sunday, October 25
Where: 11 a.m. – Parliament Hill
             12 p.m. – ‘A’ Ottawa, 87 George Street
             4 p.m. – Local TV Matters To Local Artists Concert, Xpresso Café,
             102 – 179 George Street

Cable Cash Cow Tour October 26 in Ottawa and Kingston

When: Monday, October 26
Where: 8 a.m. – ‘A’ Ottawa, 87 George Street
             12 p.m. – University of Ottawa, 550 Cumberland Street
             4 p.m. – Queen’s University (JDUC Building), 99 University Avenue
             5 p.m. – Princess Street and Wellington Street, Kingston

Canadians who want to help save local television have until November 2 to share their views with the CRTC by going to http://localtvmatters.ca/send-a-message/ before hearings resume.

Follow the Cable Cash Cow on Facebook.com/CableCashCow and Twitter @CableCashCow.

Local TV Matters is a campaign launched by local Canadian television broadcasters with a focus on the protection and preservation of local television for viewers across Canada. Local TV Matters’ members include CTV, ‘A’, Global, CBC, CHEK News, V, and NTV with thousands of supporters located across the country. The campaign encourages all Canadians to share their voice and support local television. Visit LocalTVMatters.ca to learn more.

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For more information,
Amy Doary, 416 710 6079 or amy.doary@ctv.ca
Sónia Brum, 416 384 3410 or sonia.brum@ctv.ca
Jim Quan, 416 459 3293 or jim.quan@ctv.ca
Richard Gray (In Ottawa), 613 769 4844 or richard.gray@ctv.ca
Kevin McHale (In Kingston), 613 978 1584 or kevin.mchale@ctv.ca

Sandy is hoping that someone who knows Alanis could ask the star to call the station and sing the song in support of local TV. Click here to read Sandy’s full blog posting.

My Local TV
by Sandy Sharkey

My local tv, my local tv
Its been there for you and me
Deserving of adulation and congratulations
Because what is a nation that is not tied together by local stations

My local tv, my local tv
You define our community
Everyone has a story to tell
Its local tv that listens
So now its time to take a stand
Because we are on a mission

My local tv, my local tv
Its been there for you and me
Local tv, local tv
I got my start on local tv
Yes I got slimed on local tv….

Localtvmatters.com!

The Cable Cash Cow meeting local residents in Moncton, New Brunswick

Cable Cash Cow Tour – October 23

What: Cable Cash Cow tour across Canada
Who: The Cable Cash Cow
Why: To support local television and make known the reality it faces today
When: Friday, October 23 from 9 – 11 a.m. AT
Where: 9 a.m.   King Street and Carlton Street intersection
10 a.m. St. Thomas University

Canadians who want to help save local television have until November 2 to share their views with the CRTC by going to http://localtvmatters.ca/send-a-message/ before hearings resume.

Follow the Cable Cash Cow on Facebook.com/CableCashCow and Twitter @CableCashCow.

Local TV Matters is a campaign launched by local Canadian television broadcasters with a focus on the protection and preservation of local television for viewers across Canada. Local TV Matters’ members include CTV, ‘A’, Global, CBC, CHEK News, V and NTV with thousands of supporters located across the country. The campaign encourages all Canadians to share their voice and support local television. Visit LocalTVMatters.ca to learn more.

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For more information,
Sónia Brum, 416-384-3410 or sonia.brum@ctv.ca
Amy Doary, 416-384-2593 or amy.doary@ctv.ca
Jim Quan, 416-384-5311 or jim.quan@ctv.ca
Matthew Garrow, 416-859-5641 or matthew.garrow@ctv.ca

She has never had to struggle in the community of family, and as for the community she lives in, CTV Ottawa always made that community feeling hit home.

Where do sighted people get their news from? We get it from the newspapers, TV and people may say radio but that is becoming a thing of the past as well. My niece cannot read a newspaper as it is not in Braille. She could have someone read it to her, but then we are not the voice of the community she has learned to trust. For many disabled people, elderly, shut-ins, and quite frankly many families, local TV is our community.

We all yearn for the days when we would walk home from school to our mothers on the front porch, or they may have been waiting for us while having coffee in the driveway with the neighbours. As we walked home, other mothers would call out to us knowing each of us by name. We all want this for our children, the feeling of community, but the reality is, it is lost and times have changed unfortunately. People are once again looking to local TV to fill this void, to bring us together.

How do we feel community? We feel it by being involved in school, church, local activities, by driving around the area and looking at the beauty in which we live, by walking around and observing change. For many disabled people, this is not possible. They struggle to ‘fit in’ within the school community, the church community and even an activity that they love. Many can’t drive around, and even more, can’t see the beauty.

How do they feel their community spirit? If they are lucky they can see their local news, and in my niece’s case, she can hear it. She has learned to trust the voices, to see her community through their eyes. She learns about local activities she may want to take part in. She learns about others struggling in the community and wants to lend a helping hand. She learns what areas may be unsafe for her to walk in and she learns about her community through her local CTV Ottawa journalists and anchors.

Do we tell all the tens of thousands of people who have come to rely on local news that “sorry it’s gone, just one more struggle for you to overcome.” Can you please suggest how they feel a part of their community then? We all strive for the feeling of community, the feeling we had “back in the day”, all of us…..local news is an equalizer for ALL of us!

CTV Ottawa Viewer and Supporter