Industry Consultation

Principles and Objectives of the CMF’s Consultation Policy

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) consultation policy is based on the principle that the industry consultation process should be meaningful, formal, ongoing and inclusive. The underlying values of the policy include transparency, co-operation, communication, balance and results.

The consultation process includes five objectives:

• Gaining high-level stakeholder input into CMF planning and program development and design
• Being informed of emerging stakeholder issues and priorities
• Making fully informed policy decisions
• Maintaining two-way communication between the CMF and its stakeholders
• Allowing stakeholders to be part of, and understand, the CMF's policy making process

In 2013-2014, an extensive consultation was undertaken. Specifically, the process comprised the following elements:

Focus Groups

The CMF held a total of 21 focus groups in 18 different cities in all provinces and territories. In all, 535 stakeholders took part in these discussions. Through the focus groups, the CMF sought to gather feedback on the following strategic, mandate-based issues:

• Policy architecture of the CMF Program: relevance of two distinct funding streams with distinct policy objectives.
• Objects of CMF funding (or eligible expenditures): types of activities CMF supported through its program budget - predevelopment, development, production, versioning, marketing and promotion, digitization, rights clearance, etc.
• Canadian content - eligible genres and essential requirements.
• New funding triggers: non-Canadian broadcasters, or digital distributors.
• Diversity of creative voices: support to diversity of voices, as well as the mechanisms employed.

Working Groups and Advisory Committee

The working groups and advisory committee, comprised of representatives with a particular interest in the topic covered, were employed to delve more deeply into issue-based, program-related topics: performance envelopes, support to documentary, support to regional projects, CMF’s funding mechanisms and Digital Media Measurement Framework were the topics discussed during these meetings.

Individual meetings

CMF representatives also met with different groups of stakeholders who wanted to discuss specific issues related to their own particular challenges.

Written submissions

Although written submissions were not contemplated as part of the initial consultation plan, CMF received more than 30 written submissions from stakeholders (industry groups and unions, individuals). Submissions were posted on the CMF website and available for all interested parties.

Online Consultation

The CMF website’s consultation page allows stakeholders to access to all consultation information and documents.

The CMF also deployed a social media strategy to invite stakeholders to join the consultation online.

Stakeholders’ active and valuable participation throughout all phases of the consultation process demonstrates the interest of the industry to participate in the evolution of the CMF’s policies and programs.