Search

ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2001-707

This page has been archived on the Web

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. Archived Decisions, Notices and Orders (DNOs) remain in effect except to the extent they are amended or reversed by the Commission, a court, or the government. The text of archived information has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Changes to DNOs are published as “dashes” to the original DNO number. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats by contacting us.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

Decision CRTC 2001-707

Ottawa, 20 November 2001

Les Chaînes Télé Astral inc. and Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.
Across Canada 2001-0545-4

Application processed by
Public Notice CRTC 2001-91
dated 8 August 2001

Licence amendments for Séries +

1.

The Commission approves the application to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language specialty television service known as Séries + (formerly Canal Fiction). The application proposed to amend conditions of licence 1c) and 1d) concerning the nature of the service. These conditions are amended as follows:

2.

Current conditions of licence:

1(c) Except for programs in categories 7c (Specials, mini-series or made-for-TV feature films) and 7d (Feature films for theatrical release), the Canadian programs broadcast on Canal Fiction must have been copyrighted at least 10 years before the date of broadcast. The program logs must make it possible to identify the dates.

1(d) The Canadian programs in category 7d broadcast on Canal Fiction must have been copyrighted at least 7 years before the date of broadcast. The program logs must make it possible to identify the dates.

3.

Amended conditions of licence:

1(c) Except for programs in categories 7a (Ongoing dramatic series) in an original language other than French, 7c (Specials, mini-series, made-for-TV feature films) and 7d (Theatrical feature films aired on television), the Canadian programs broadcast on Séries + must have been copyrighted at least 10 years before the date of broadcast. The program logs must make it possible to identify the dates.

1(d) The Canadian programs in category 7d broadcast on Séries + must have been copyrighted at least 7 years before the date of broadcast, unless Séries + has participated in their funding at the production stage and that funding does not exceed 50% of the total cumulative amounts allocated in fulfilment of its current commitment of $900,000 per year. The program logs must make it possible to identify the dates.

4.

Séries + is a national French-language specialty service entirely devoted to dramatic programs. The current conditions of licence generally limit the broadcast of Canadian programs to older programming. Canadian content requirements for Séries + are currently set at 25% of its overall programming.

5.

The licensee requested permission to broadcast recent Canadian dramatic series (category 7a) in an original language other than French and dubbed into French that have never been broadcast on French-language television. This amendment will be beneficial in that it will provide Canadian English-language programs with another window for broadcast in the French-language market.

6.

The second amendment involves the licensee's current commitment to devote at least $900,000 per year to fund original French-language feature-length fiction movies intended for television (category 7c). The licensee requested that this commitment be broadened to permit investment in recent Canadian programs belonging to category 7c (Specials, mini-series) and to original French-language feature-length fiction movies for theatrical release (category 7d).

7.

In its application, the licensee had committed, for its full licence term, to devote no more than 75% of the total cumulative amounts allocated in fulfilment of its $900,000 commitment to any one of the four types of programming from categories 7c and 7d. The Commission decided to limit investment in programs of category 7d to 50% of the total cumulative amounts, as set out in the aforementioned condition of licence.

8.

The licensee also made the following commitment:

· All category 7d Canadian French-language feature films for which Séries + has participated in the funding at the production stage will also benefit from a commitment that they will be broadcast by a French-language conventional Canadian broadcaster-private or public, general-interest or educational-with which Séries + will negotiate sharing of exhibition windows at the pre-purchase stage.

9.

According to the licensee, Séries + will have more flexibility in selecting the Canadian programs it broadcasts, in view of the changes that have taken place in the market over the past three years. It added that the proposed amendments reflect the parameters regarding the percentage of Canadian content and expenditures for Canadian programming set out in its licence approval (Decision CRTC 99-109).

10.

The Commission considers that these amendments do not change the original mandate of Séries +, which is to broadcast dramatic programming. The effect of these changes will be to diversify the categories of programming that Séries + may invest in and to increase the exposure of Canadian programming in an original language other than French in the French-language market.

11.

The Commission has examined the comments of TQS inc. and is satisfied with the licensee's reply. The Commission also acknowledges the interventions received in support of the application.

Related CRTC document

. Decision CRTC 99-109 - Approval of a new French-language specialty television service called "Canal Fiction" (Now Séries +)

Secretary General

This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca

Date Modified: 2001-11-20

Date modified: