a `work in progress'

To date, Baton Broadcasting System execs have said little about the tremors shaking the house since industry maverick Ivan Fecan stepped in as senior group vice-president in December 1993. But today, after almost 18 months on the job and three months since his promotion to executive vice-president and coo, Fecan is willing to talk, just a little, about what he calls a work in progress.

Some might argue that Baton has been in progress since Doug Bassett, now president and ceo of Baton and chairman of the board at the CTV Television Network, took over the broadcasting company from his father, John, in 1980.

After a run at developing productions in the '70s, Baton moved to the sidelines and has since kept a relatively low profile with the independent production community.

However, Bassett himself often grabbed the broadcasting industry's attention, trying twice to take over the ctv network, high-balling the competition for national program rights, and building the nation's number-one rated newscast.

Under Fecan, Baton is attracting attention for different reasons.

First, there were the January layoffs of 94 Baton staff. Then last month, Suzanne Steeves and Beverly Oda were lured into the fold, two high-profile women with backgrounds in production at a company that hasn't been heavily involved in production since it operated Glen-Warren Productions two decades ago.

On top of that, there were tangible changes in approach in Baton's sales department, and the rumored new co-operative relationship between Baton and its network, ctv.

That Baton is going through a metamorphosis is true, says Fecan. But he's unwilling to qualify the contortions as stunning, or pointing to some radical new direction for Baton, which operates 20 stations concentrated in Ontario and Saskatchewan.

"It's only revolutionary in the context of Baton because, over time, there hasn't been a great deal of change here. Now there is. We think we're going in the right direction."

Perhaps the first sign of an imminent shake-up at Baton was the hiring of Fecan himself, who left as vice-president English television networks at cbc in November 1993.

Today, Fecan's role at Baton bears a vague resemblance to the one he played at cbc. He is again in charge of dragging a dinosaur into the dawn of the global communications market, preparing it to stave off extinction, in part by cultivating high-profile creative programs to nurture, produce, and sell internationally.

"We think it's important to be involved in the development of original programming and hold unique program rights for Canada. It's a new business we're developing right now. We have scripts in motion, including some books and other literary properties. We're working with five to 10 writers on important projects, of which most are in their first and second draft scripts. That's a part of our future," says Fecan.

Steeves, former executive director of media operations for cbc with responsibilities to the English television networks, began as vice-president, production and distribution for BBS Productions on March 27. Her primary responsibilities at bbs will be building Baton's programming rights business, developing and overseeing the creation of new programs, and international distribution of Baton programs.

Her counterpart in programming for all Baton system-wide productions is Oda, chairwoman of the Foundation to Underwrite New Drama and Canadian Women In Communications. The once full-time crtc commissioner will oversee the licensed, regulated side of the business. Steeves and Oda will report directly to Fecan. "They're both catches for us," he says.

Baton has formally optioned eight properties, with its hands on five more, the majority of which are miniseries or mows.

In development now are Wild Geese, being written by Suzette Couture; Proof Positive, being written by Nancy Isaak; The Other Woman and The Golden Girl: The Silken Laumann Story, both being written by Joy Fielding (Carol Reynolds of Carol Reynolds Productions, is producing The Golden Girl.); The Prodigal Husband and The Judas Kiss, based on books written by Michael Harris; Small Miracle, to be written by Chris Bryant and produced by Gail Tilson of Independent Moving Pictures in Regina; and What's Bred In the Bone, a three-part miniseries being written by George Jonas and Guy Kay to be produced by John McGreevy.

The pilot of Wacky Palms, a children's program produced by Noreen Young and Owl tv's Annabel Slaight, is complete and decisions are being made about where and when to run it.

"In the long run, there will be an emphasis on mows, although we'll probably look at more series at some point too," says Steeves, who has been inundated with scripts since she started at the end of March.

According to Steeves, the mechanisms for funding those projects haven't been decided yet, although they're looking at producing productions budgeted in the $1 million to $2 million range.

As a developer, Baton will play different roles, including producer, coproducer, investor, and rights holder, and the "creative" ways in which programs are funded will vary individually.

Fecan, like other Canadian broadcasters, is advocating broadcasters have access to production funds now that prodcos Alliance Communications and Atlantis Communications have become broadcasters in Showcase and Life Network, respectively.

It's in the beginning stages, and there's a lot left to be done, but what has been decided is that original production will be a significant part in Baton's long-term strategy, says Steeves. Fecan, she says, is the driving force behind increasing emphasis on original productions and is setting Baton up "as a force to reckon with in the industry."

"Ivan's always been a big fan and supporter of talent in this country, and that's what he will gravitate towards and contribute in this fashion, to provide more vehicles for Canadian talent, the writers and producers in this country. He's well-known for what he's done for the industry in terms of raising its stature internationally, and he will continue to do that."