by Michelle Greysen

Created on: February 04, 2010   Last Updated: February 05, 2010

Although not up to the splash of its southern American neighbor, the Canadian television programming has many positive influences in the world of broadcasting both home and abroad.

In charge of regulating and supervising Canadian broadcasting is the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC. This independent public authority reports back to the government to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The commission monitors such things as Canadian content, loud commercials, local signal substitution in order to air local ads, manages broadcast complaints, and more. They do not regulate false or misleading ads and do not regulate the Internet.

Within the Canadian Broadcasting Act there is a strong sway to a strong and diverse Canadian broadcasting system with a primary objective to create a system that must contribute to the creation and presentation of Canadian programming. Priority Canadian Programming is mandated during peak viewing hours as Canadian broadcasters are expected to devote monies producing programming that will attract Canadian audiences.

Having mentioned all this fine print and sounding so bitterly dry and boring there are surprisingly many success stories past and present and continuing to come out of Canadian television. Many Canadian shows have been picked up by American networks in deals of co-production simulcast arrangements.

The success of hits like CBC’s  Flashpoint and the X-Files are serious contenders for great Canadian television. Canadian shows which have garnered huge American, and worldwide followings like them or not, are the smash hit Corner Gas wrapping up after six seasons, and the Canadian mokumentary series Trailer Park Boys still around a decade later and boasting two big screen films.

Not all Canadian television is self-mocking Canadians and many valuable shows are enjoyed and award winning world wide such as David Suzuki’s the Nature of Things, and CTV’s hit Degrassi with four series over the years and the current Degrassi:The Next Generation, as well as the Canadian Mounties popular 1990’s hit home and abroad, Due South. The most recent transition of Canada’s Dragon’s Den and now the Americanized version Shark Tank, not only stems from the original but shares some common cast and crew. One of the best shows on Canadian television and sharing the coveted Thursday night lineup against popular American television and strongly holding its own is The Border.

Canadians are protective of the Canadian content and the public signing on by the hundreds of thousands to a broadcasters community site to show support and protect their viewing choices at Local TV Matters. The ability for viewers to receive their television signals from around the world 24 hours a day has them appreciating the continued quality of Canadian programming. Many a current hot Canadian show now have the viewer saying “ Wow, that didn’t seem like Canadian television at all, eh?”

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