The Canadian Media Guild welcomes today’s decision by the CRTC to establish a Local Programming Improvement Fund for public and private broadcasters serving markets of fewer than 1 million people. The $60 million fund will be available to broadcasters to build up local programming and expand their news bureaus and local coverage.

“Local TV programming has been in crisis for a number of years and a several broadcasters, including TQS in Quebec, have cut back drastically on local news,” says Lise Lareau, National President of the CMG. “The new fund is a direct way to start lifting us out of this crisis and provide more, and better, local news to Canadians living in smaller cities.”

The CMG proposed the creation of a Canadian programming fund to the CRTC in the fall of 2006 (Click here to view our submission). Earlier this year, the union urged the CRTC to redirect a portion of cable and satellite fee revenues to local programming in order to help boost the quality and quantity of local programming. (Click here to view that submission.).

For more information, contact Karen Wirsig (karen@cmg.ca) at 416-591-5333 or 1-800-465-4149.