Envelope Administration
The Envelope Administration section provides broadcasters with information concerning the Performance Envelope Program and the Development Envelope Program. At the beginning of each fiscal year, Canadian broadcasters that participate in CMF’s Envelope programs receive allocations of funds known as Performance Envelopes and Development Envelopes.
Allocations
Performance Envelope Program and Development Envelope Program funds are allocated to broadcasters at the beginning of each fiscal year based on past performance in commissioning and airing convergent projects.
On March 31, 2023, 20 English and 9 French broadcasters received Performance Envelope (PE) allocations from the program budget for use in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. English broadcasters shared $152.1 million in envelope funds, while $72.3 million was shared among French broadcasters.
Alternative Access option:
Broadcasters that have not generated a PE Allocation for 2023-2024 are eligible for Alternative Access to the Performance Envelope Program. Eligible Broadcasters may utilize this Alternative Access on a first-come, first-served basis, by providing an Eligible Licence Fee and a Broadcaster Agreement Form with a PE commitment to an Eligible Project, until the entire Alternative Access budget is spent. Eligible Broadcasters are limited to three applications using the Alternative Access portion of the PE Program or $150,000 in total PE commitments in 2023-2024, whichever is less. $1.5 million has been allocated to English broadcasters through Alternative Access and $500 thousand has been allocated to French broadcasters.
Management of the 2023-2024 Performance Envelope Allocations:
- CMF’s Narrative Positioning Policy
- Beginning in 2023-2024, Broadcasters need to ensure that Projects funded from their Envelope Allocations comply with the CMF’s Narrative Positioning Policy.
- Convergence and Digital Media Component Requirements
- While the CMF will still continue to fund multiplatform content – including accompanying Digital Media Components – beginning in 2023-2024, the CMF will no longer require accompanying multi-platform content for CMF-funded linear television projects.
- The Digital Media Component Requirement has been removed for 2023-2024 allocations.
- COVID-19 Flexibility Measures to CMF Programs
- The 2023-2024 COVID-19 Flexibility Measures to CMF Programs, which continues most of the 2022-2023 Flexibility Measures, apply to PE allocations.
- The First Closing Date Envelope Allocation commitment reduction has been removed. Broadcasters who have a total PE Allocation (all genres and flex combined) greater than $2.5 million are again obligated to spend 75% of their PE Allocations by the First Closing Date, October 16, 2023.
- Gender Balance Requirement
- The Gender Balance requirement no longer applies to Small Broadcasters (see section C.2.6 of the PE Manual), beginning in 2023-2024.
| Genre Allocation 2023-2024 (%) | English | French |
| Drama | 60 | 54 |
| Documentary | 16 | 17 |
| Children’s & Youth (C&Y) | 21 | 21 |
| Variety & Performing Arts (VAPA) | 3 | 8 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Details on the Performance Envelope allocations can be found in the Performance Envelope Manual.
Calculations
Audience success
Audience success calculations are based on the total hours tuned that a broadcaster generated for programs previously funded in a given broadcast year. Broadcasters submit their own total hours tuned calculations for review by the CMF and inclusion in audience success calculations.
Relevant documents for 2021-2022 broadcast year submissions (for 2023-2024 Performance Envelope Calculations):
NEW Submission Templates
Below is an .XLS file template to submit the required hours tuned calculations for program coded stations, and a .ist file that may be imported into the NLogic software (Infosys+TV) to extract the AS calculation data; instructions for this can be found in the Overview document.
Download .ist and .xls Templates
Broadcaster Submissions
The CMF enables participating broadcasters to review all total hours tuned submissions. This is a password-protected section that is solely for the use of broadcasters who have submitted total hours tuned information to be reviewed by the CMF. Login information has been provided to participating broadcasters.
Historic Performance
The CMF allocates funds to a broadcaster’s development envelope by calculating its performance in each language relative to all others competing for those funds. Information on calculation and management can be found in the Development Manual.
Historic Performance
This list is a companion to the review of Development Historic Performance eligible licences and shows CMF funding eligible for Historic Performance factor credit.
Manuals
The Performance Envelope Manual explains the management and administration policies of the Performance Envelope Program for broadcasters. It outlines the methodology by which envelopes are calculated, as well as the policies which govern their management and usage. This manual is published as a companion to the Performance Envelope Program Guidelines, which include information largely geared towards project funding eligibility criteria.
The Development Manual provides broadcasters with a guide to the Development Program’s envelope system, details on the methodology by which the funding envelopes are calculated, as well as the policies which govern their management and usage. This manual is published as a companion to the Development Envelope Program Guidelines.