Producers welcome reality TV on CBC, but warn of obstacles

TheCBC's recentdecision to enter the reality TV genre has been praised by producers at the Banff World Television Festival, but they also warned the public broadcaster of challenges ahead.

"They could have got into it much sooner than they did, but good on them that they got involved now," J.D. Hazen, a producer who is developing a series based on a Toronto performing arts school, told CBC News.

In May, the CBC announced it was establishing a department focusing on "factual entertainment," a category that includes talk shows, game shows, and lifestyle and reality programs. A separate department would continue to focus on documentaries.

Soon afterward, CBC-TV introduced the new series Code Green, in which homeowners across the country competefor a hybrid carbymaking their homes more environmentally friendly.

Not too late to join genre: CBC programming director

Though CBC's entry into the genre comes years after programs like Survivor and American Idol made reality shows must-see TV, it's not too late, says Kirstine Layfield, CBC-TV's new executive director of network programming.

"I don't think genres ever really go away," she said. "Look at game shows and variety shows. They were supposed to be dead and here we have Deal or No Deal and the Jessica Simpson variety show.

"So things just get reinvented. It's all very cyclical."

One reason many broadcasters like reality programming is because it is cheaper to produce, partially because stars are real people rather than actors.

ButLayfield emphasized that adding factual entertainment to CBC-TV's broadcast mix would not come at the cost of drama and comedy programming.

Hurdles ahead, producers warn

Despite homegrown hits such as Canadian Idol, however, Canadians makingreality TV do face certain hurdles, producers said.

For instance, a reality series isn't eligible for as many Canadian content credits as a dramatic series in the eyes of the country's broadcast regulator, the CRTC.

"For broadcaster to be able to do a great show full of Canadians, employing Canadian works in this industry and talent, sometimes it's hard for them to do that based on their license requirements for the CRTC," said Michael Geddes, who produced Pop Stars and Hooked Up.

Also, reality programming isn't eligible for the Canadian Television Fund, a joint public-private initiative for which TV producers can apply for funding assistance.

These rules can force Canadian reality producers into deals with U.S. broadcasters instead, said Hazen, who has sold his "produced by Canadians, about Canadians" reality series to U.S. network E!

The annual Banff World Television Festival, an industry conference and television programming marketplace, ends Wednesday.