Call to Canadian producers: US HGTV wants you

HGTV in the US has changed the way it selects programs in a way that will please Canadian producers. The Knoxville-based channel is still focused on home and garden transformation shows, but its execs want to work with more Canadian companies to make them. HGTV content strategy chief Michael Dingley says Canadian lifestyle shows have always been 'stylish and nice' (read: tame), but feels producers north of the border have made huge improvements over the last five years. 'There are amazing production techniques and quality that are coming out of Canada now that are not only on par with what we see from the US lifestyle production companies, but some are beyond that,' says Dingley. 'They give a lot of others a run for their money.'