FOCB 07 ¥ Layout.6

Home , Chicago Hope, Cold Squad, Due South, Third Watch

Royal Canadian Air Farce The Practice ER Da Vinci’s Inquest Charmed Baywatch Due South Will and Grace Family Law The Nature of Things Becker That 70’s Show Hockey Night In Canada Dawson’s Creek Twenty One Cold Squad Ally McBeal Just Shoot Me Drop the Beat Dateline NBC 20/20 This Hour Has 22 Minutes The West Wing Roswell The Fifth Estate The Pretender Who Wants to be a Millionaire Dooley Gardens America’s Most Wanted Spin City Outer Limits JAG Third Watch Wind At My Back NYPD Blue Little Men Double Exposure Two Guys and a Girl Drew Carey Show Traders Friends King of Queens Undercurrents Law And Order The Truth Behind The Sitcoms Bob and Margaret Beverley Hills 90210 The Simpsons Just For Laughs Wheel of Fortune Providence W5 Dharma and Greg Once and Again Life and Times Frasier Chicago Hope Royal Canadian Air Farce The Practice ER Da Vinci’s Inquest Charmed Baywatch Due South Will and Grace Family Law The Nature of Things Becker That 70’s Show Hockey Night In Canada Dawson’s Creek Twenty One Cold Squad Ally McBeal Just Shoot Me Drop the Beat Dateline NBC 20/20 This Hour Has 22 Minutes The West Wing Roswell The Fifth Estate The Pretender Who Wants to be a Millionaire Dooley Gardens America’s Most Wanted Spin City Outer Limits JAG Third Watch Wind At My Back NYPD Blue Little Men Double Exposure Two Guys and a Girl Drew Carey Show Traders Friends King of Queens Undercurrents Law And Order The Truth Behind The Sitcoms Bob and Margaret Beverley Hills 90210 The Simpsons Just For Laughs Wheel of Fortune Providence W5 Dharma and Greg Once and Again Life and Times Frasier Chicago Hope Royal Canadian Air Farce The Practice ER Da Vinci’s Inquest Charmed Baywatch Due South Will and Grace Family Law The Nature of Things Becker That 70’s Show Hockey Night In Canada Dawson’s Creek Twenty One Cold Squad Ally McBeal Just Shoot Me Drop the Beat Dateline NBC 20/20 This Hour Has 22 Minutes The West Wing Roswell The Fifth Estate The Pretender Who Wants to be a Millionaire Dooley Gardens America’s Most Wanted Spin City OuterIT’S Limits JAGGOOD Third Watch WindAND At My Back WENYPD Blue LIKE Little Men DoubleIT Exposure Two Guys and a Girl Drew Carey Show Traders Friends King of Queens Undercurrents Law And Order The Truth Behind The Sitcoms Bob and Margaret Beverley Hills 90210 The Simpsons Jus t For LaughsQUALITY Wheel TELEVISION, of Fortune Providence MADEW5 Dharma IN CANADA and Greg Once and Again Life and Times Frasier October 2000 Chicago Hope Royal Canadian Air Farc e The Practice ER Da Vinci’s Inquest Charmed Baywatch Due South Will and Grace Family Law The Nature of Things Becker That 70’s Show Hockey Night In Canada Dawson’s Creek Twenty One Cold Squad Ally McBeal Just FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING http://friendscb.ca Shoot Me Drop the Beat Dateline NBC20/20 This Hour Has 22 Minutes The West Wing Roswell The Fifth Estate The Pretender Who Wants to be a Millionaire Dooley Gardens America’s Most Wanted Spin City Outer Limits JAG Thir d Watch Wind At My Back NYPD Blue Little Men Double Exposure Two Guys and a Girl Drew Carey Show Traders Friends King of Queens Undercurrents Law And Order The Truth Behind The Sitcoms Bob and Margaret Beverley Hills 90210 The Simpsons Just For Laughs Wheel of Fortune Providence W5 Dharma and Greg Once and Again Life and Times Frasier Chicago Hope Royal Canadian Air Farce The Practice ER Da Vinci’s Inquest Charmed Baywatch Due South Will and Grace Family Law The Nature of Things Becker That 70’s Show Hockey Night In Canada Dawson’s Creek Twenty One Cold Squad Ally McBeal Just Shoot Me Drop the Beat Dateline NBC 20/20 FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS

This report was prepared for Friends of Canadian Broadcasting by a research and editorial team led by Arlan Gates, with input from Amanda McQuitty and guidance from members of Friends’ Steering Committee. It primarily uses sources in the public domain. However, Friends subscribed to the 1999 CBC Research/Nielsen Media Research Canadian Media Quality Ratings Survey at the commercial subscription rate.

Friends is a Canada-wide voluntary organization supported by 48,000 households whose mission is to defend and enhance the quality and quantity of Canadian programming in the Canadian audio-visual system.

Visit Friends online at http://friendscb.ca

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting 131 Bloor Street West, Suite 200/238 Toronto, Ontario M5S 1R8 [email protected]

© Friends of Canadian Broadcasting 2000 IT’S GOOD AND WE LIKE IT QUALITY TELEVISION, MADE IN CANADA Canadian television has come a long way. Friends of Canadian Broadcasting will soon be releasing a first annual Report on the State of English-Language Television in Canada. In advance of this year’s 15th Annual Gemini Awards, Friends is releasing the following series of snapshots from our research, focusing on measurements of quality. The data come mainly from three sources:

Gemini Awards from the past decade;

the Canadian Media Quality Ratings Survey, and Nielsen Media Research audience data.

It’s Good And We Like It finds that at the start of the 21st century, Canadians are watching and enjoying high-quality Canadian programming, challenging the conventional wisdom that Canadians prefer American programs.

1 October 2000 1 1. THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS Each year, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television organizes the Gemini Awards to recognize achievement in Canadian television. A jury of industry peers screens a host of Canadian programming, identifying five nominations in each competitive category, from which a winner is ultimately chosen by ballot. In this way, the Academy and the Gemini Awards provide a continuous and invaluable measure of what’s best, and what is quality, in English Canadian TV.

The following charts summarize the winners by broadcaster over the last decade, the first chart covering all awards; the second, awards presented during the annual gala broadcast that airs live nationwide on the CBC each year; and the third, nominees.

3 100% 1 Who broadcast 6 4 6 7 7 6 7 9 8 9 the Gemini 90% 12 2 2 2 3 4 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 11 6 1 1 Award Winners. 2 5 5 2 80% 3 4 1 8 3 4

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS All categories, 2 3 1 5 11 2 3 1 6 3 70% 1989–1999 9 Other 5 8 Specialty 5 15 60% 10 Other Public TVO Other Private 50% Global 50 CTV 44 CBC 40% 46 48 41 37 43 42 37 30% 33 41

20%

10%

0% Dec Dec Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Oct Oct 1989 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998 1999

Sources: Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television online public database, other public domain sources, FCB archives. Gemini Awards reflect programming aired in the previous full television season. Awards are charted in percentage format, but figures represent actual number of awards. The number of awards and the specific awards given varied from year to year. “Other” includes productions not aired on broadcast television in Canada, unidentified programming, and awards not tied to

specific productions. CBC includes the specialty channel Newsworld. “Other private” includes CHUM, which includes the specialty channel Bravo! 4 1. THEINDUSTRYSPEAKS

Ten years ago CBC productions garnered more than 90 percent of all Gemini Awards. While the CBC still aired a majority of the 1999 Award winners, a downward trend has been clear throughout the decade. The shift in public funding away from the CBC in favour of the private broadcasters, and cable specialty channels, has translated into more award-winning shows in their program schedules. It may also be said that with a firm nudge from the CRTC, private broadcasters have shown more determination to invest in quality Canadian programs.

The Gemini Awards data reveal a gradual trend away from complete domination by the CBC towards a more diverse system, where CTV, and recently other broadcasters, are airing some of the best Canadian programs. An analysis of recent nominees (p.7) underlines that CBC continues to hold a strong lead over the combined private sector.

5 100% 1 Who Broadcast 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 the Gemini 90% 3 1 2 Award Winners. 3 80% 4 4 6 3 2 5 FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS Televised Awards Ceremony Only, 70% Other Global 1989–1999 60% CTV CBC

50% 19 14

40% 11 9 12 9 10 10 9 30% 88

20%

10%

0% Dec Dec Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Oct Oct 1989 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998 1999

Sources: Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television online public database, other public domain sources, FCB archives. Gemini Awards reflect programming aired in the previous full television season. Awards are charted in percentage format, but figures represent actual number of awards. The number of awards and the specific awards given varied from year to year. “Other” may include other private broadcasters, other public broadcasters, specialty

channels, productions not aired on broadcast television in Canada, unidentified programming, or awards not tied to specific productions. 6 1. THEINDUSTRYSPEAKS

100% 9 26 33 Who Broadcast 28 35 37 39 46 31 90% 45 46 49 the Gemini 2 47 19 24 9 24 1 28 Award Nominees. 8 9 20 80% 5 8 10 4 3 10 8 1 18 6 3 8 6 14 8 8 6 2 6 5 7 8 All Categories, 3 5 6 9 7 5 3 5 20 70% 14 16 34 Other 29 28 33 44 17 1989–1999 25 31 29 Specialty 38 29 Other Public 60% 31 TVO 66 Other Private 50% Global CTV 40% CBC

144 125 126 146 151 152 192 30% 156 165 166 169 20%

10%

0% Dec Dec Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar Oct Oct 1989 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1998 1999

7 October 2000 2 2. What Viewers Think This study follows in part from an earlier report on English Canadian TV networks conducted by Friends of Canadian Broadcasting in 1991, entitled Networking. That study identified two key ways to measure audience appreciation of Canadian TV: how many Canadians watch a particular program in a given time period, and what they think about that programming.

It’s Good And We Like It has drawn heavily from the Canadian Media Quality Ratings Survey (QRS), a syndicated Canadian TV, radio and Internet audience survey conducted on behalf of Nielsen Media Research and CBC’s research department by Canadian Facts.

1. The in-home interview technique provides a high quality of survey data and allows creative approaches to be applied Based on in-home interviews with a broad random sample of households, the survey employs a methodology both to survey technique and to sampling. For instance, 1 respondents can be shown materials during the interview independently appraised by the Canadian Advertising Research Foundation. that could not be used in a mail-in or telephone survey, such as daily and multi-day program schedules for an extensive list of programs. Both households and individuals to be inter- viewed are randomly selected, and up to five attempts are made to secure a personal interview with a selected respon- dent. In addition to the in-person interview, respondents complete a self-administered written survey.

9 Awareness and Viewing of English-language.

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS Conventional TV Networks, 1999

100%

80% Major U.S. Networks Major Canadian Networks 60% 97 87 88 40% 62

20%

0% Aware of the Network Watch the Network

Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research. In this chart, major Canadian networks included CBC, CTV, and Global (Ontario only); major U.S.

networks included CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and PBS. Certain smaller networks were excluded. 10 2. WHAT VIEWERSTHINK

The 1999 QRS2 – gathered from 2,160 English-speaking adults by Canadian Facts in October/November 1999 – found clear evidence that Canadians were more aware of their own TV “networks”,3 as opposed to rival U.S. networks.

The 1999 QRS also found that Canadians were more likely to watch Canadian networks than U.S. networks. 2. Some of these data were used as the basis for the conclusions reached by the Auditor General of Canada in Of course, much of what was available on private Canadian networks was U.S. network drama series or sitcoms, his recent five-year Special Examination Report on CBC, 4 published June 29, 2000. especially in prime time. Even so, the fact that so many more Canadians chose to watch those shows on Canadian 3. In this report, “networks” refers to the commonly under- stood sense of the term: a group of stations with common networks points to the overwhelming influence that CBC, CTV and Global have on the television programming ownership and some common programming. The legal defini- tion of network in the Broadcasting Act is narrower. Thus Canadians watch. Global, while not a network in the legal sense, is commonly thought of as a network, and is considered so in this report. The 1999 QRS measured Global in Ontario only. “Conventional” means broadcast “over-the-air”, not only on cable. “Major” refers to the largest station groups of roughly comparable size and national presence.

4. Over a survey period of three weeks in March 1999, Friends found that Canadian private broadcasters aired 34 non–Canadian half-hour drama shows compared with just 6 Canadian ones; and 39 non-Canadian hour-long drama series compared with just 11 of Canadian origin.

11 Viewer Satisfaction with Canadian Networks, 100%

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS 1999 90% 20 26 29

80%

70% Very Satisfied Satisfied 60% Dissatisfied

50% 72

70 40% 67

30%

20%

10%

9 44 0% CBC CTV Global

Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research 12 2. WHAT VIEWERSTHINK

The 1999 QRS report gave Global the highest viewer satisfaction rating, slightly ahead of CTV, underscoring the popularity of American fare on private networks in Canada.5 CBC viewer satisfaction, though high, was the lowest of Canada’s three national networks. The variation in satisfaction rates most likely reflects that Canadian broadcasters have different strategies for attracting audiences, and may well attract different communities of viewers. Global’s “appointment television” strategy, for instance, may explain why it has the highest percentage of “very satisfied” viewers.

5. Viewers were asked if they personally were ‘very satisfied’, ‘satisfied’, ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with the programming carried on the network. In the 1999 QRS, viewers of a channel were considered to be those who reported any viewing of the channel, including those who said they watch the channel less than once per month.

13 Who Aired the Best Canadian

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS Programs, 1999 60%

50%

40%

30% 54

20%

25 10% 15 6 0% CBC CTV Global Others

Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research. CBC includes Newsworld; CTV includes NewsNet. Based on cable/satellite subscribers who indicated

that they watched Canadian programming. 14 2. WHAT VIEWERSTHINK

A majority of respondents, however, believed that CBC aired the best Canadian programs. More than three times as many respondents chose CBC as chose CTV, and just six percent of respondents indicated that Global carried the best Canadian programs.

15 Desert Island TV: Networks Canadian viewers would not

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS want to be without. 80%

60% Over-the-air Viewers (top three networks) Cable/Satellite Subscribers (top five networks)

40%

68 62

20% 39 33 31 26 22

0% CBC CTV Global Average U.S.

Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research 16 2. WHAT VIEWERSTHINK

The 1999 QRS also measured what Friends has termed “desert island” TV: the top channels (including both networks and specialty services) that the viewer would want to access if only a limited number were available. Asked which TV channels they would keep if they could only keep a few, QRS respondents ranked Canadian networks far higher than rival U.S. channels. The same pattern is shown among both over-the-air viewers (who were asked to choose the top three channels) and cable/satellite subscribers (who were asked to choose the top five channels). Both groups were most likely to choose CTV, followed by CBC and Global, with U.S. networks far behind. Of course, cable/satellite subscribers have many more channels to choose from. Yet A&E, a U.S. channel, was the only specialty channel to fare better than any major Canadian network – cable subscribers ranked it ahead of CBC, but behind CTV.

17 How Major

Canadian and U.S. Law and Order (US/CTV/A&E) 168 Prime Time Drama ER (US/CTV) 156 The Practice (US/CTV) 130

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS Series Compare. Third Watch (US/CTV) 125 Quality Ratings, The X–Files (US/Global) 120 Da Vinci’s Inquest (CBC) 109 1999 NYPD Blue (US/Global/Bravo!) 105 The West Wing (US/CTV) 103 Wind At My Back (CBC) 100 Chicago Hope (US/Global) 92 Cold Squad (CTV) 89 Felicity (US/CTV) 89 Charmed (US/CTV) 86 Ally McBeal (US/CTV) 83 Party of Five (US/Global) 81 Nothing Too Good For a Cowboy (CBC) 77 Outer Limits (Global) 74 Traders (Global) 69 Beverly Hills 90210 (US/Global) 64 Dawson’s Creek (US/Global) 63 Roswell (US/CTV) 56 Power Play (CTV) 47 The City (CTV) 35

250 50 75 100 125 150 175

Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research, FCB archives. This chart excludes 30-minute dramas. “U.S.” means a U.S. series that is available

on the Canadian network listed above, and which may be simulcast. 18 2. WHAT VIEWERSTHINK

The 1999 QRS also rated 92 individual Canadian and U.S. programs based on how viewers responded to questions about program quality and whether they enjoyed particular programs.6

The 1999 QRS ratings point to Canadian drama series holding their own against U.S. fare. For example, DaVinci’s Inquest, the top Canadian program surveyed, performed better than popular and critically-praised U.S. series like NYPD Blue and The West Wing.7 The proximity of Canada to the U.S. border, and the extensive marketing that CTV 6. Respondents were asked whether they were aware of a program, whether they had watched that program, and if so and Global give to the numerous U.S. series in their schedules explains in part the continuing popularity of U.S. whether they considered it ‘very good’, ‘good’, ‘neither good nor poor’, ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. The percentage of respon- programming on Canadian TV. dents who rated a program ‘very good’ was converted to the numerical quality rating shown in the chart. Programs that were given a rating other than ‘very good’ do not contribute At the same time, the QRS underscores that homegrown drama strikes a chord with Canadians as it fights for to the rating. viewers in an increasingly competitive broadcast landscape. Considering the substantial multiples of production 7. The QRS data also indicate a sharp difference in Canadian viewers’ evaluation of the quality of the Canadian drama, funding the U.S. series enjoy over their Canadian counterparts, this result constitutes a distinct achievement for with Da Vinci’s Inquest and Wind At My Back leading, and Traders and Power Play scoring among the lowest. the Canadian production system. These and most of the other series surveyed for the 1999 QRS, with the exception of Outer Limits, were in some way “identifiably” Canadian.

19 FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research, FCB archives. Excludes programs that aired on specialty channels and TVO.Source: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen 1999 Major Networks, Quality Rating. Programs by Top 10 Canadian Royal Canadian Air Farce (CBC) Hockey Night in Canada (CBC) Hockey Night PreGame (CBC) The Nature of Things (CBC) Da Vinci Late Local News (CTV) Sunday Report (CBC) National News (CTV) The National (CBC) ’ s Inquest (CBC) W5 (CTV) 07 0 2 5 175 150 125 100 75 50 0 25 104 108 109 109 116 119 119 119 142 143 20 2. WHAT VIEWERSTHINK

Given the high cost and long development curve for Canadian drama productions, it should come as no surprise that most of the top Canadian programs in the 1999 QRS were in genres other than drama: news and current affairs, sports and comedy. In fact, the appearance of a Canadian drama among the top ten shows indicates a breakthrough in viewer perceptions of quality.

21 October 2000 3 3. Do Audience Ratings Reflect Quality? While there are some exceptions, a combination of 1999 QRS and audience data challenges the notion that programs that rate highly in quality attract less mass audience. In the following Canadian programming performance map, the majority of programs are in the top right quadrant, showing a correlation of higher quality and strong audience, while only one program appears in the lower right quadrant, attracting a lower quality rating despite a higher audience share. At the same time, the programs in the top left quadrant do support the theory that at least some high quality shows attract a disproportionately low audience share.

23 Prime Time Higher Quality Canadian Programming 220 The Nature of Things Performance Map. 200 Hockey Night In Canada

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS Audience vs. Quality

180 Global Rating, 1999 National (CBC) Hockey Night In Canada PreGame Royal Canadian Air Farce CTV CBC 160 CTV National News Sunday Report (CBC) Da Vinci’s Inquest CTV Late Local News W5 The Fifth Estate Wind At My Back 140 National Magazine (CBC) CTV Early Evening News Life And Times Witness The Red Green Show Country Canada CBC Late Local News This Hour Has 22 Minutes 120 Nothing Too Good Cold Squad For A Cowboy CBC Early Evening News Lower Outer Limits Market Place Higher Share 100 Share Venture Traders Undercurrents Pit Pony On The Road Again 80 Comics Just For Laughs Saturday Report Power Play 60

Made In Canada 40 02 4 6 8 101214161820222426

Lower Quality

Sources: 1999 QRS CBC/Nielsen Media Research (quality); Nielsen Media Research (audience shares)

Audience data were unavailable for The City, which is excluded from this chart. 24

October 2000 Conclusion The key finding of It’s Good And We Like It is that Canadians continue to value high quality domestic programming, and they continue to watch it in large numbers. For years, Canadian news, sports and comedy shows have enjoyed strong ratings. Friends’ 1991 Networking study highlighted the popularity of Canadian news and current affairs programs. What is new is the breakthrough of Canadian drama – both in popularity and in viewer perceptions of quality. The very high marks earned by shows like Da Vinci’s Inquest, Wind at My Back and Cold Squad are proof positive that Canadians watch and appreciate Canadian drama, and Canadian television in general.

Although the CBC’s financial resources have been deeply cut, the public broadcaster continues to produce the majority of award-winning and high quality Canadian programs. Public funds now being redirected to private broadcasters and specialty cable channels correlate with an increase in the number of high quality productions they broadcast.

27 FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING OF CANADIAN FRIENDS

In light of the flood of new competition, and much lower budgets for Canadian program production compared with the U.S., these findings constitute a strong vote of confidence for Canadian television. This is a tribute to government and CRTC policies which have encouraged the strengthening of Canadian choices in the audio-visual system, as well as to the entrepreneurial skills of Canadian creators, who have achieved these results in direct

competition with the most powerful production industry on the planet 28 http://friendscb.ca