Canada Media Fund (CMF)
The mission of the Canada Media Fund (CMF) is to foster, promote, develop and finance the production of Canadian content and relevant applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF funds the sustainable production of screen-based Canadian content across multiple platforms such as television, wireless devices or the internet. Its goal is to guide Canadian content towards a competitive global environment through fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voices and promoting access to content through industry and private sector partnerships. Created by Canada’s cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors and the Government of Canada, the CMF aspires to connect Canadians to their creative expressions, to each other, and to the world. From its launch in 2010-11 to 2013-14, the CMF leveraged $3.40 of activity for every dollar invested, for a total of $4.8 billion in industry activity.
Launched in 2010, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) is an arm’s-length public-private partnership, funded by the Government of Canada and Canadian cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors. The CMF is an independent corporation: while the Government sets out the policy parameters for the CMF, the Fund has its own Board of Directors, and the guidelines and administration of the funding program are its own responsibility. This governance model allows content review and creation to be separate from political involvement. The CMF regularly consults industry stakeholders in a regular, formal, inclusive and meaningful way.
The CMF promotes, develops and finances the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF delivers financial support to the Canadian television and digital media industries through two streams of funding. The Convergent Stream supports the creation of innovative, convergent television and digital media content for consumption by Canadians. The Experimental Stream encourages the creation of leading-edge, interactive digital media content and software applications. In 2014-15, the CMF contributed $365.6 million to Canadian television and digital media projects, triggering $1.3 billion in production activity. Through the Convergent Stream, 505 productions received $311.3 million in funding, which generated 2,800 hours of new content. Through the Experimental Stream, 108 innovative projects were selected and received $38.6 million in funding. The CMF also provides funding to television and digital media coproductions between Canadian and international producers (see measure entitled “Canada Media Fund’s funding for international coproductions and the Framework for International Digital Media Coproduction”).
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is expected to continue to support the sustainable production of Canadian screen-based media across multiple platforms. It is expected to help Canadian content remain competitive in the global digital environment.
The vision of the CMF is that “Canadians and world audiences have access to and demand innovative, successful Canadian television and digital content on all platforms.”
For more information on the vision and mission of the CMF, please see its annual report: http://ar-ra14-15.cmf-fmc.ca/
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors. Through CRTC regulations, broadcast distributors are required to make an annual contribution of 5% of their annual broadcasting revenues to Canadian programming, most of which goes to the CMF. The Government has provided $134.1 million per year in ongoing stable funding to the CMF since 2010-11.
After the evaluation of its activities from 2010 to 2014, the Evaluation Services of the Department of Canadian Heritage concluded, among other things, that the Canada Media Fund (CMF):
1. Is responsive to the needs of Canadians
The CMF is the most important source of financing for Canadian digital content in the drama, documentary, children/youth, variety and performing arts genres. It addresses the issues associated with the small size of the official language markets, including the financial disincentives associated with creating original programming as compared to acquiring less expensive foreign content. The evaluation observed that the Government’s objectives in connection with official language minority communities in Canada are reinforced by the CMF through its support for productions in Aboriginal and official language minority communities.
2. Aligns with the priorities of the Government of Canada
The CMF’s mandate and objectives supports the federal government’s priority and the Department’s strategic outcome that "Canadian artistic expressions are created and accessible at home and abroad.” It is also consistent with the departmental priority of “taking full advantage of digital technology” and reinforces the Government’s digital agenda.
3. Aligns to Federal roles and responsibilities
The CMF is well aligned with the Government’s roles and responsibilities as it is an instrument to support Canadian broadcasting policy. The CMF supports the Department and its responsibility to ensure that the broadcasting and digital communications sectors contribute to the objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act.
The full evaluation can be found here: http://www.cmf-fmc.ca/documents/files/news/2015/dch-cmf-evaluation-summary.pdf