CBC to inject extra $5m into Canadian docs, shutter Documentary Channel

Canadian public broadcaster the CBC has said it will invest an additional C$7m (US$5.1m) in local documentaries as part of a digital transition that will see the closure of its linear channel Documentary Channel.

Jennifer Dettman

Under a plan revealed on Thursday, the pubcaster said the new funds will support a range of documentary formats and genres, including shorts and features, docuseries and international coproductions, as well as regionally and nationally focused work.

The cash injection will also mean additional broadcast hours for CBC’s primary doc strands The Passionate Eye, The Nature of Things and Absolutely Canadian, it said.

As part of the plan, the CBC is launching a free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel dedicated to doc programming this autumn. The FAST channel will succeed Documentary Channel, the specialty linear channel launched in 2001 and majority owned by the CBC.

Documentary Channel will shutter on August 31, a move necessitated by “shifts in linear television consumption habits and declining subscribers,” said the broadcaster.

CBC’s roster of FAST channels also includes the CBC Comedy channel, CBC Kids and 15 CBC News channels.

More broadly, CBC said the additional funding would create new opportunities for a diverse range of storytellers at all levels by providing “dedicated pathways” and new initiatives that will support a new generation of talent. Further details of the plan will be announced at the Banff World Media, it said.

“Our commitment to original Canadian documentary storytelling is stronger than ever,” said Jennifer Dettman, CBC’s executive director of unscripted content.

“By increasing our investment, we are creating more opportunities for filmmakers at every stage of their careers and ensuring their remarkable stories reach even larger audiences. This new FAST channel allows us to modernise how we deliver high-quality documentaries, making it easier than ever for Canadians to discover the very best in home-grown storytelling.”