The Directors Guild of Canada has launched a petition for Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly and Bell Media asking them not to discontinue BravoFACT and MuchFACT that offer grant funding for Canadian music videos, electronic press kits and short-form films.

"This week, buried in hundreds of pages of broadcast licensing regulations, CRTC Chair Jean-Pierre Blais announced the decision to kill two of Canada's most important sources of financing for music videos and short films – Bravo!FACT and MuchFACT," reads the petition. "These production funds help many of our country's top creative talent cut their teeth in film and television, not to mention promote and celebrate hundreds of our nation’s top recording artists and performers.

“Music videos and shorts open the first door in the industry for so many young, dynamic and diverse filmmakers, actors, artists and creators. We call on Minister of Heritage Mélanie Joly to reverse this shortsighted and destructive decision by the CRTC." 

So far the petition had garnered more than 3,000 signatures.

Bell Media issued a statement in response to concerns on Wednesday, correcting the record, saying the programs had not yet been cancelled – yet:

“Bell Media was granted flexibility by the CRTC in making contributions to MuchFACT and BravoFACT no longer conditions of license for its Much, Gusto, and Bravo specialty channels," it reads.

"We are currently reviewing both programs and no decisions have been made regarding their future at this time. Both programs continue to accept grant applications in anticipation of their next funding deadlines later this year.”