APTN says funds needed to support public service broadcasters

The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) on Friday called for the creation of a Services of Exceptional Importance Fund to support mandatory carriage broadcasters and other important services in the broadcasting system that meet critical policy mandates. The Indigenous broadcaster urged the CRTC to require initial base contributions from online undertakings to directly support it and other initiatives that promote Indigenous voices, such as the Indigenous Screen Office. APTN noted the distinction between funds that support Indigenous content production and funds that support Indigenous broadcasting undertakings, saying that they both compliment each other and cannot exist without the other. Production funds help with the creation of content but without a broadcaster to give visibility, it beats the purpose, said APTN CEO Monika Ille. On top of that, added executive director of content and strategy Mike Omelus, up to one-third of APTN’s programming, much of which is educational, is not supported by existing production funds. As a non-profit organization, APTN is heavily dependent on wholesale rates from traditional broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs). But, despite a growing viewership and 23 per cent ratings increase year-over-year, the funds available to APTN have seen a significant decline as the sector’s revenues drop, said Omelus. “We cannot underestimate the importance of indigenous media,” said Ille. “We bring diversity. We shatter stereotypes. We support a thriving indigenous production community. We play a critical role in promoting Indigenous languages. We are also vital in maintaining cultural identity and building community. All of this as we're fostering reconciliation.” While other BDUs do have some Indigenous programming, APTN is almost entirely made up of it, making it a unique part of the broadcasting system. She said the CRTC must ensure the new regulatory framework makes more resources available to broadcasters that help the visibility of Indigenous programming and are public service- not market-oriented. “We don't reflect Indigenous perspectives. We are Indigenous perspectives,” concluded Ille. Following APTN’s presentation, the CRTC heard from a panel of Black and people of colour (BPOC) funds, artist associations, and production companies, including the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for Black and People of Colour Creators (CISF), All Out Arts Management, Playground Films Inc., In My Own Voice, and In Sync Media. They emphasized the importance of supporting BPOC representation in Canadian programming, encouraging the CRTC to create a $20 million fund distributed across various programs to support marginalized creators in all career stages. This fund was proposed to be distributed by the newly certified CISF, which they argued is well-positioned to do so. The commission also heard from other BPOC groups, including Coalition Coalition M.É.D.I.A., Racial Equity Media Collective, BIPOC TV and Film, the Black Screen Office, and Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO). They called for a portion of contributions collected from online undertakings be directed to certified independent production funds (CIPFs) that support racialized communities, as well as the Broadcasting Participation Fund. Proposals for the CRTC also included amending the certification criteria for CIPFs, like requiring them to gather race-based data to evaluate the degree to which funded projects reflect the diversity of Canada, and allow more funds to be certified if they effectively demonstrate their ability to fill equity gaps in the Canadian broadcasting system. “We're in a system that was set up not to be welcoming to racialized stories or stories from underrepresented communities,” said RESO founder Barbara Lee, highlighting the existence of cultural barriers in the Canadian media business that specialized organizations can help address. – Reporting by Phalen Tynes-MacDonald at pcreed@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy

APTN says funds needed to support public service broadcasters

News | November 27, 2023

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APTN says funds needed to support public service broadcasters

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