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Sun TV...struggling to meet its mandate

S

samsonyuen

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Troubled Sun TV struggles to meet its mandate
Apr. 3, 2006. 06:43 AM
ANTONIA ZERBISIAS

CKXT is the Toronto TV station that never got off the ground.
Many saw it as being dead in the water even before it was launched with a splashy live telecast in September, 2003.
Back then it was Toronto 1.
Owned by the now-defunct Craig Media Inc. of Calgary, it was a disaster from the instant it was licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in a split decision that was contested by just about every broadcaster in Toronto.
(Let's rewind the tape to recall that it was Torstar, which owns the Star, which first made a bid for an innovative low-cost station, triggering a competitive process that it lost to Craig.)
Craig had no idea how to operate in Toronto. Its programming concept was screwy. Critics mocked its schedule. And, despite holding a primo spot low down on the dial, it couldn't attract ratings to save its life.
And so, its life was very short.
By 2004, the mass firings began, wave after wave of them.
Toronto 1 ended up being the death of Craig Media, and the broadcast dynasty behind the name. Along with other Craig assets it went on the block, where they were bought by Toronto's CHUM — which had to divest itself of the station because it already operates Citytv and A-Channel Barrie in this market.
In stepped the media giant Quebecor Inc, which was looking for a television toehold in Toronto where it owns the Sun and the commuter tab, 24 Hours.
Perhaps because Quebecor operates a successful French-language network, or perhaps because it claims the second biggest paper here, it figured it could grab a share of the TV audience the way Craig could not.
But, since it took over Toronto 1, which it dubbed Sun TV, there have been even more cuts. The most recent came 10 days ago when 13 staffers were handed cartons in which to pack their personal effects.
For the second time in two years, the station cancelled its daily flagship infotainment program.
Now there are questions as to whether the station is meeting its conditions of licence.
For example, it is supposed to be producing "a weekly half-hour aboriginal program." But a spokesperson for the station said that they "are working to meet this expectation."
Which means not yet.
Indeed, Sun TV's Canadian line-up includes a list of warmed-over failed offerings from the mid-1990s, plus the nightly Grill Room, featuring (mostly) Sun sportswriters sitting uncomfortably close together and jawing about sports.
Not exactly ratings grabbers.
Last week Pierre Karl Peladeau, Quebecor's president and CEO, spoke to Toronto media directors promising an overhaul of his Toronto operations, including the Web portal Canoe. He talked of podcasting, video streaming and digital tsunamis.
"This brings me to a model we will be piloting here in the GTA in a few weeks," Peladeau said. "The initial offering will include a television current affairs program on Sun TV — streamed live on Canoe.ca — with connections to the journalistic skills at the Toronto Sun."
That current affairs program, to debut in May, is Canoe Live.
While it may have excited those fascinated with new tech, it was a red flag to Canadians concerned about media concentration and diversity.
What's more, it appears to be a violation of Sun TV's condition of licence which states that it "will maintain separate and independent news management and presentation structures for Toronto 1 television operations that are distinct from those of any Toronto 1 affiliated newspapers."
"What (Sun TV station manager) Jim Nelles told the employees was that Canoe Live was going to be a convergence of the Sun newspaper and the Canoe website — and the primary focus is on the Sun editorial team," says Keith Maskell of the Canadian Media Guild who attended the meeting between management and the staffers who still had jobs.
Adds Maskell: "It strikes me that it's going to be difficult to maintain editorial independence if the axis of the flagship program is going to be the newspaper."
Seriously. There's even been talk — not denied by Sun TV spokesperson John Wildgust — that Canoe Live would air the newspaper's editorial meetings.
Well, you can't say that isn't innovative. It might even do something for media transparency. But it hardly meets the station's mandate.
There is no question that the regulations of broadcasting have to change in order for the players to adapt to the new competitive environment. A long awaited review, originally scheduled for 2008, may be bumped to this year.
But nobody should feel too sorry for Canada's private TV operators who, as a group, reported total revenues and profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) rose by about 4 per cent, hitting $2.2 billion and $242.2 million respectively.
But, with most of the country's newspapers in bed with the nation's biggest broadcasters, there's danger here. By CRTC fiat they're forced to keep their newspaper and television newsrooms separate.
CKXT has been doing differently, and could well be the canary in the media concentration coal mine.
 
If a movie I like appears on Sun TV (or Toronto 1 before that), I always think a little less of that film.
 
Now there are questions as to whether the station is meeting its conditions of licence. For example, it is supposed to be producing "a weekly half-hour aboriginal program."
I think the folks at The Star are still sore they never got the original license and then when Quebecor was able to buy from Craig for a steal. What if The Star did own the station, i'm sure they would stall a weekly half-hour aboriginal program as long as they could. Why does a Toronto station have to produce this type of program in the first place? There's APTN and CBC covers aboriginal issues quite extensively.
Jeez Zerb you can do better than that.

BTW... the only show i like to watch on SunTV is World's Most Amazing Videos. This is one of the older style video shows displaying carnage folks like you and me happened to capture. Let me also state right away that Stacey Keach's narration is excellent.
 
Mmmmmm .... old time videocarnage. I knew some day I'd regret unplugging my TV's and storing them in the basement.
 
It would appear that Bill lives close to you BB - I'm sure you could hike your hemline and pop on over whenever...
 
For example, it is supposed to be producing "a weekly half-hour aboriginal program."

Who in the right mind would want to watch something like this?
 
Who in the right mind would want to watch something like this?
Aboriginals?

Regardless, this was a station that was licensed to be hyper-local in content, but three ownerships later, is basically a repeat broadcaster of U.S. syndicated fare. Moreover, the few homegrown offerings they do offer may violate their license stipulations to have seperate newsrooms between their newspaper and broascasting divisions (which is a genuine concern is this era of massive consolidation).

Best business case or not, I can't help but wish that the CRTC had given TorStar a go-ahead with their original "Hometown TV" proposal. I am of the belief there's still room for another good terrestrial station in this town, but after this folly we may never see one licensed again.
 
I agree, Toronto 1 was supposed to be like another CityTV, but they're more like a CH. It is strange that they'd have a half-hour aboriginal show condition, but I guess it's good to have an aboriginal show on a more mainstream channel (not APTV).
 
I agree, Toronto 1 was supposed to be like another CityTV, but they're more like a CH. It is strange that they'd have a half-hour aboriginal show condition, but I guess it's good to have an aboriginal show on a more mainstream channel (not APTV).
Every terrestrial channel has comparable conditions. The thinking is that APTV is a cable channel (therefore isn't "free") while Sun-TV is an over-the-air channel (and thereby "free"). This condition is to allow a non cable subscribing aboriginal (or someone interested in aboriginal issues) a chance to see programming catered to their community.
 
It is strange that they'd have a half-hour aboriginal show condition

It might have just been something Craig promised (one of the many things) when it was competing for the license, and it got added as a condition of license.

Maybe there is some study/report out there stating that the First Nations communities are the most underserved in Ontario in terms of local programming. Just speculating.
 

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