OCTOBER 27, 2009

       You know those local TV shows you love to watch. Whether it be Kinsmen Jackpot Bingo or the news or… well, I think that about covers it. Those locally produced shows are in danger because the big networks aren’t funding the little stations and the cable companies are allegedly charging us but not passing along the income to those producing the content.

       That’s the argument local TV stations are making. This is sort of daring for me to be calling out media colleagues, but let’s decipher the scare tactics being used on Canadians to make them feel scared Manitoba programming – and the little there is – could be history.

       If we were gradually seeing a decrease in programming over the years, that might be a reasonable argument. But for years there hasn’t been much in the way of local shows being produced. Why now is it a problem? Why now when there’s talk of economic troubles and falling advertising revenues?

       A ha! See the connection?

       It’s a last-ditch effort to get money from anywhere because they can’t get advertising dollars. Did CTV care about local television when it sold CKX in Brandon? When the $1 transaction fell through did the big network (that paid at least $90 million for broadcast rights of the 2010 Olympics) step up? Nope. It let the station die.

       And how much do the big Canadian networks pay for all that American content that dominates the primetime airwaves? I can tell you it’s not cheap to buy into those shows. With the exception of CBC – and perhaps CTV’s run with Corner Gas – where is local TV during primetime hours? Have we seen a reduction in Canadian primetime shows? No, because they never existed!

       I am all for supporting local media. Hello, look where you’re reading this column!

       But when the big companies worth billions of dollars don’t step up to the plate and start tugging at our heartstrings with violins playing, it makes me wonder who they are really looking out for. Is it really all about the viewers that will miss out on watching bingo? Or is it about shifting blame instead of holding the greedy suits at the network accountable?