OTTAWA, March 22, 2016—The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) welcomes the Trudeau government’s announcement of $75 million in additional funding to CBC/Radio-Canada in 2016/2017, increasing to $150 million in the following years.

“We expect that a very large share of this new investment will be used to help support the development and production of content made by Canadian independent producers,” said Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO. “It is by far the best and most efficient use of these public funds to maximize the dollars going on the screen.”

The CMPA also welcomes the promised $35 million in additional investment to promote Canadian artists and cultural industries abroad. “Independently produced programming already generates significant international returns, while still having enormous export potential,” said Mastin. “We look forward to consulting with the government on how to tailor a program that will target the most promising markets for producers’ content.”

At the same time, the CMPA would have liked to have seen an increased allocation to Telefilm Canada higher than the $2 million committed in today’s budget. “We intend to pursue discussions with the government on how to achieve our shared goal of ensuring the national and international success of Canadian theatrical films,” said Mastin.

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ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

For more information:

Kyle O’Byrne
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
kyle.obyrne@cmpa.ca