To properly untangle the threads, we should perhaps go back to the time when TV5 Québec Canada found itself with a certain autonomy. It was in 2003. What happened?
When Europe began to expand, America experienced the same thing. We managed the signal in Canada, the United States and Latin America. In 2003, we subdivided the signals and it was decided that we would focus on Canada. TV5 Paris became TV5MONDE and took control of everything else.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY TV5 QUÉBEC CANADA
The President and CEO of TV5 Québec Canada, Marie-Philippe Bouchard
How should you watch TV5 Québec Canada?
We have the mission to promote the Francophonie through a common market with content from public channels represented by France Télévisions, RTBF (Belgium) and RTS (Switzerland). Added to this is a new player, Monaco public television. On the Canadian side, there are Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec and TV5 Québec Canada.
TV5 Québec Canada presents European programs and content made here. Is it an obligation of the CRTC to present Canadian content?
Yes, 15% of our schedule must consist of original Canadian content. To do this, we work with independent producers from Quebec and French-speaking Canada.
Is TV5 Québec Canada a general television channel?
In fact, it has generalist aspirations, as it broadcasts everything from culture, variety, documentaries and newscasts. But it has a specialty channel business model.
Why don’t we see the same programs on TV5 Québec Canada as on TV5MONDE?
You should know that we deal with several territories. TV5MONDE represents nine different signals. Broadcasting rights may differ from one territory to another. The partners who provide the content have policies that may impose restrictions. If a documentary has been sold to Télé-Québec or RDI, it cannot be broadcast.
Are programs produced by TV5 Québec Canada automatically broadcast elsewhere on TV5MONDE?
The short answer is that they are pretty much always offered. They are not always available. Canadian producers own the rights. They can choose to exploit them differently internationally.
Do the rights to other Canadian shows presented on TV5MONDE have to pass through TV5 Québec Canada?
We do not prenegotiate for TV5MONDE. We buy rights for Canada to be able to do our own exploitation. But as these are choices that go well with TV5MONDE programming, we place them in a basket of possible choices. This selection is made jointly with Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec. Subsequently, my team negotiates with the producers to release non-exclusive broadcasting rights for TV5MONDE1.
Who pays who?
This is a budget that is available annually thanks to the governments of Quebec (Ministry of Culture and Communications, Ministry of International Relations) and Ottawa (Canadian Heritage). This allows us to supply TV5MONDE with Canadian content.
Are you telling me that it is Canadian money that allows the export of Canadian programs on TV5MONDE?
Yes ! It is thanks to a historic partnership2 that we can do this.
What does your budget look like?
We are now at 33 million turnover. The proportions break down as follows: approximately 80% of cable royalties (since 2014, TV5 Québec Canada and Unis TV have obtained mandatory distribution on the basic cable television service across Canada), a $2.3 million subsidy from Ottawa and Quebec, the rest comes from commercial revenues (advertising and distribution). We are therefore very dependent on the privilege of cable distribution.
You created Unis TV. And now there is TV5Unis. What is the difference ?
The desire behind Unis TV was to add content to the French-language offering reflecting the reality of French-speakers outside Quebec. But also, to produce Quebec content that comes from outside Montreal. In 2019, we carried out an overhaul. Unis TV is a linear channel and TV5Unis is a web platform that offers most of the content of Unis TV and TV5 Québec Canada.
TV5MONDE recently launched the TV5MONDEplus platform. Here, are we entering a bit of a shopping center?
Indeed, it is a content store. That said, again, rights are not necessarily the same everywhere. There are choices that are made based on our territory. Users are geolocated. If you go to this platform, in which the Canadian government has heavily invested, you will also find content from TV5Unis and TV5 Québec Canada.
In closing, Montreal has a large French community. I often hear that people get a VPN to access TV5MONDE or other European channels in real time. How do you see this?
I know it exists, especially in expatriate communities. VPN doesn’t do everything. That said, we must take into account the fact that we are infringing copyright rules that protect works. When you circumvent this with a VPN, you bypass the rights holders. I do not encourage this.
1. According to the TV5 Charter, each member country provides programs free of rights to TV5MONDE and TV5 Québec Canada to enable them to build their programming. Operators are however free to acquire content other than that provided by the partner countries.
2. In 2019, the federal government granted $14.6 million over five years to support the launch of the TV5MONDEplus platform, of which a minimum of $7.2 million was to be used to release rights to Canadian content. In 2021, the Quebec government granted an additional $1.6 million over 3 years for the enrichment of Quebec content on the TV5MONDEplus platform.