COMPANY TOWN : CBC Will Eliminate U.S Programming From Prime Time : Television: Decision stems from broadcaster’s desire to remain ‘resolutely Canadian.’

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. President Perrin Beatty announced Thursday that the CBC will eliminate all U.S.-made programming from its prime-time English-language television service beginning in the fall of 1996.

Beatty described the decision as part of the public broadcaster’s commitment to remain “resolutely Canadian” despite drastic cuts in federal government support.

“As of the fall of 1996, all regularly scheduled U.S. programming will be removed from our . . . 7-11 [p.m.] prime-time programming,” he said in a speech to the prestigious Canadian and Empire Clubs telecast nationally by the CBC’s all-news cable channel.

Beatty said the CBC will redirect the money spent on U.S. shows to support Canadian producers, writers and performers. It will fill prime time with programs that “tell Canadian stories and give the Canadian perspective on Canada and the world.”

The move affects 2 1/2 hours of shows per week: “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “The Nanny,” “Can’t Hurry Love” and “Central Park West.”

“I won’t deny Hollywood’s attraction for Canadian broadcasters,” Beatty said. “Its programs deliver large audiences and generate about $2.50 for every dollar we spend on them.

“But the price we pay isn’t just monetary. It can also be measured in reduced distinctiveness in what is perhaps the most competitive television environment on Earth.”

The new Canadian programs that will replace the American shows include a six-part co-production with the British Broadcasting Corp. on the history of television news and a new series of biographies “showcasing the lives of Canadians from every walk of life,” Beatty said.

A CBC spokesperson said the company does not disclose what it spends on U.S. programs and does not separate its earnings from advertising for those shows from general revenues.

The CBC’s smaller French-language television operation, which programs relatively few U.S. productions, will not be affected by the move. In French-speaking regions, “the challenge is not to counterbalance a foreign presence with a Canadian one but to provide attractive French-language programming,” Beatty said.

Even with the CBC cuts, American-made programming will be heavily represented on English-language television in Canada, on the private national network, CTV, and on regional networks, cable and independent channels. More than 95% of Canadian televisions have cable access, and cable systems generally carry the four major U.S. networks.

The CBC is under heavy pressure not only to reduce expenditures but to meet its legislative mandate to primarily reflect Canadian culture.

The broadcaster is bracing for a federal government budget cut of $262 million over the next three years. The government currently contributes about $700 million of the broadcaster’s annual $975-million budget.

The CBC cutbacks are part of an overall reduction in government spending aimed at slowing the spiraling national debt. The cuts are hitting virtually all government programs, from culture to health care.

Thursday’s announcement on U.S.-made programming came one day after Beatty advised CBC employees that the corporation would eliminate as many as 2,800 of the corporation’s nearly 12,000 jobs by mid-1997 to meet current and anticipated reductions in funding.

“It will mean fewer episodes of some series, less research support, and some replacing and recombining of programs,” he told CBC workers Wednesday. “But . . . we aim to minimize the impact of the cuts on what our audiences see and hear. . . .

“Canada must be able to see itself on television and hear itself on radio, and Canadians must have a broadcaster that will treat them as citizens not simply as consumers.” Beatty said.

The CBC head office in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, will reduce expenses by 50%, move to smaller accommodations and sell its building. The engineering headquarters in Montreal will make similar reductions.

Beatty also has called on unions to renegotiate contracts to achieve $26 million in further savings.