April 8, 2009 Feds consider TV news bailout
By THE CANADIAN PRESS http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2009/04/08/pf-9048476.html The federal cabinet is considering a $150-million fund for the country's private broadcasters to help rescue local TV stations and their newscasts, The Canadian Press has learned. The cabinet priorities and planning committee met yesterday to discuss options for helping broadcasters who warn they are stretched to the max, sources said. The discussions came on the same day that Canwest Global Communications, which owns Global TV network, faced another deadline for reaching a debt repayment schedule with its lenders. They also came as the government announced nearly $1 billion to guarantee warranties on new vehicles sold by GM Canada. LOBBY EFFORT Canwest, CTVglobemedia and Quebecor, which owns the Ottawa Sun, have all been lobbying the Conservative government to come up with both short-term and long-term assistance. Harper has met with Canwest's CEO Leonard Asper and Quebecor's Pierre Karl Peladeau in the last few months. The $150-million local programming fund would be tied to news and current affairs programming, and would favour smaller urban centres. A formula would be worked out to ensure big cities such as Toronto and Montreal do not swallow up the lion's share of the cash. Whether the CBC would be eligible is still unclear, although the private broadcasters have been lobbying vigorously against it. The CBC is facing a $170-million shortfall this year and is planning 800 layoffs. One source said the discussions are still "fluid." Proposals have been batted back and forth between cabinet and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Help for local television has widespread support in cabinet and among the Conservative caucus. -- ================================ George Antunes, Political Science Dept University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204 Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927 Mail: antunes at uh dot edu *********************************** * POST TO [email protected] * *********************************** Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
