Regional Funding
By providing a number of incentives in its Convergent Stream programs, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) strives to support productions from outside Canada’s main production centres. In response to stakeholder proposals and in order to address the geographical dynamics that influence economic activity and decision-making, the definition of regional production for English-language projects reflects projects outside of Toronto, while regional production for French-language projects reflects projects outside of Montreal.
Due to the end of some large-scale regional productions, the share of English regional funding in 2015-2016 has dropped to just above the 2011-2012 level. The trend of the previous three years was over 40% share.
French regional production funding (outside Montreal) has risen to a five-year high share of 18.6%.
2015-2016 regional spending accounted for more than half of English development commitments. This majority share is due in part to the role of the English regional pre-development program. More detail on this program’s results can be found in the development section of the report. French regional commitments were at 28.9% of total French development in 2015-2016.
Outside of Ontario and Quebec, the province with the largest share of funding is British Columbia, at 10.4%. Other provinces do not exceed a 4.0% share.
Support to regional production by program 2015-2016
(% of total regional funding) | |
English | |
Performance Envelope | 74.3 |
English Regional Production Bonus | 15.8 |
Anglophone Minority Incentive | 5.3 |
English POV | 2.8 |
Convergent Digital Media Incentive | 1.4 |
Northern Production Incentive | 0.4 |
Total | 100.0 |
French | |
Francophone Minority | 53.8 |
Performance Envelope | 32.1 |
Quebec French Regional Production Incentive | 10.4 |
Convergent Digital Media Incentive | 3.7 |
Total | 100.0 |
ENGLISH REGIONAL BONUS
The English Regional Production Bonus (ERPB) provides additional funding support to producers in areas of Canada outside of Toronto. The program provides 10% of television project budgets to a maximum of $1.0M. This program is part of the CMF’s Convergent Stream; thus, projects funded through this stream must include content to be produced for distribution on at least two platforms, one of which must be television and the other, digital media. Funding from this program is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
ERPB funding of $11.5M contributed to 48 projects. Dramas received the largest portion of 2015-2016 program funding at 55.0%. Seven provinces received funding through the incentive with the largest amount going to British Columbia.
QUEBEC FRENCH REGIONAL PRODUCTION INCENTIVE
The Quebec French Regional Production Incentive gives additional funding to French projects originating in Quebec outside of Montreal. The budget was increased in 2015-2016 from $1.8M. $2.0M went to 28 projects.
NORTHERN PRODUCTION INCENTIVE
The Northern Production Incentive was broadened to include funding for digital media components in 2015-2016. The incentive provided $0.5M to 10 projects in Nunavut and the Yukon.