News release

Rights, Distribution Principles Developed for TV, Interactive Content

Film Nova Scotia (Nov. 2007 - Nov. 2012)

NOTE: A list of website addresses for the provincial funding agencies and private independent funds follows this release.

People in the television and interactive content industries will be better informed by the new clear and transparent guidelines developed for broadcaster agreements.

The Association of Provincial Funding Agencies and a group of the private independent funds have developed a set of Canadian rights and distribution principles for television programs and interactive cross-platform content.

The organizations, which fund Canadian made television and interactive content, wanted to address changing technology and platforms in the television and new media industry, and ensure these rights are in broadcaster agreements.

Canadian broadcasters, national industry associations such as the Canada Media Fund and the Canadian Media Production Association, and people from partner groups were consulted to help develop the principles. The goal was to create clear and transparent guidelines to better inform all parties.

Programs and interactive content that the organizations invest in, must meet the following criteria:

  • programs have maximum exposure on a variety of platforms for the benefit of the audience
  • funding organizations participate fairly in revenues from program distribution and their ancillary rights on various platforms throughout the world.

For rights acquired by Canadian broadcasters for television, principles include, but are not limited to:

  • Canadian broadcasters may only acquire Canadian rights
  • The licence fee paid for the rights must be clearly separate from any amounts paid for any other rights being acquired by the broadcaster, including interactive content and distribution.
  • If the broadcaster licences or acquires any other rights, the funds expect to participate in revenues.

For digital/interactive content based on a television program, the organizations expect that:

  • broadcasters may negotiate non-exclusive or exclusive rights during its television licence in Canada. A licence fee or 50/50 revenue share for these rights must be negotiated with the producer and agreed to by the respective fund.
  • If equity investment is provided by a fund, an appropriate share of revenues from the digital/interactive content is expected, subject to agreements with other funders.

More information on the principles developed and how they apply to television and interactive cross-platform content can be found online at the website for each funding organization.

To reflect the changing nature of the television and new media industry, the principles will be reviewed and modified as required.

Following is a list of website addresses for the provincial funding agencies and private independent funds:

The Association of Provincial Funding Agencies:

Private Independent Funds

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