The End of the CBC?
January 11, 2007 · By Shane Edwards
With Shaw pulling out of funding the Canadian Television Fund, citing a lack of value coming out of its subsidies, this could dramatically reshape the television landscape in Canada. The CTF funds all kinds of Canadian productions but also dumps a significant amount of cash into the CBC to support “Canadian Content”.
The biggest player in Canada thinks that Canadian Content simply is not worth the money dumped into it. He joins the throngs of Canadians who simply refuse to watch made-in-Canada movies and tv series. Why? Because they are largely unwatchable.
I think back on Canadian filmmaking of the last 10 years and the only memorable movies I can think of are significant only for the level of perversion they introduce. That was pretty much their only attraction to the public.
The sad thing is perversion appeals to only two groups – shock-watchers and other perverts. Both are pretty small market segments. Hence, they don’t make much money.
Now, I am not saying that making money need be the end-all and be-all of great filmmaking, because it isn’t, but great filmmaking has to have some level of appeal to everyone or it will never be considered a great film. A great film is a film that is loved by millions. If most people can’t stand the thought of watching it, it will never be considered a great film.
It is a symptom of publically funded arts that the artists stop appealing to the masses, creating only for their own elite. Since they no longer rely on ticket sales and public interest for their support they are freed from the constraints of popularity and broad appeal. Until Canadian filmmakers quit writing and producing for their own little elite, Canadian film will remain unwatchable.
So entertainment is only good enough for you if at least a million other people have bought into it? Try ejecting your James Blunt CD and shut off the new Bond movie and enjoy entertainment for what it is, not how many people have watched it.
When enjoying Canadian content, try not comparing it to Hollywood and enjoy it for its differences.
Get a grip. If you can’t make appealing art, you should get out of the art business. You don’t need to sell a “million copies” to make money as an artist, but if you need to live off the public dole to make art then you should be asking yourself, maybe I am in the wrong career.
Have you watched Canadian TV and film lately? I can appreciate film from all over the world, but it is as rare as hen’s teeth that something passably entertaining comes out of Canada.
The reason Canadian artist need to “live off the public dole” is due to the fact that we are inundated by american culture. This is not something unique to Canada. TV and movies in many countries needs to be subsidized by the government because it is actually cheaper to import shows from the US than to produce their own, so unfortunately what ends up happening is that local arts takes a back seat to mass produced cookie cutter movies/shows.
A great example of the benefits of government subsidized entertainment is Canada’s music industry. CBC radio3 and New Music Canada has helped Canadian bands to be on the frontlines of Independant music, even in the US Canadian bands are leading the way.
As far as Canadian visual programs. Have you ever watched Zed or Kenny vs. Spenny? I know FUBAR is a couple years old, but that film along with the more recent It’s All Gone Pete Tong show that Michael Dowse is at least one Canadian worth keeping an eye on.
I disagree. Mass media works on one principle: what will appeal to the most people? American media works on this principle. So does Canada. Canada and America do share a lot in terms of entertainment culture – and I don’t think it is all to do with American “dominance”. Like you say, many Canadians are leading in the entertainment industry in the USA. Why? Because they cut their teeth with government subsidy like CBC radio3 or New Music Canada? Bull. The Canadians that are leaders in this area never went near subsidies with a ten foot pole. They are the ones who took initiative, and cut their niche by the strength of their talent and motivation, not by government support.
Think about it: if your contention were true, don’t you think America would be a little bit upset that Canadians are doing so well in this industry? Wouldn’t you think that they would oppose “subsidies” in Canadian arts because it gives us an “unfair” advantage? They certainly do this in industry – steel, wood, agriculture.
No, all government support of the arts promotes is mediocrity, or worse. Mostly worse. The successes of Canada in these areas have almost nothing to do with government support.
Is CBC not a government funded organization. Are they also not a huge promoter of independant music/media?
It is a fact, do some research. American companies do sell their programing outside of their own countries for reduced rates. These reduced rates are just an extra cash grab for them, but this cash grab in turn hinders support for local arts as it comes at too great a cost.
This is for the same reason non chain stores go out of business. You can’t compete with the prices set by the WalMart’s of the world. American media is WalMart. Mass ammounts of crap that people consume because it is available in an overabundance and cheap.