APTN says funds needed from online streaming giants to help promote Indigenous voices

By The Canadian Press on November 24, 2023.

GATINEAU, Que. – The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network says online streaming services should be required to contribute funding to the Canadian broadcasting system in the face of shrinking resources that are making it more difficult to tell Indigenous stories.

The Indigenous broadcaster says the creation of a “Services of Exceptional Importance Fund” would help it achieve its goal of maintaining cultural identity through its programming by fostering reconciliation and promoting Indigenous content and languages.

The company presented Friday to a CRTC panel as the federal broadcasting regulator continues its three-week hearing about what contributions traditional broadcasters and online streaming services will need to make to support Canadian and Indigenous content.

The exercise is part of the commission’s public consultations in response to Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which is meant to update federal legislation to require digital platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and TikTok to contribute to and promote Canadian content.

The CRTC is exploring whether streaming services should be asked to make an initial contribution to the Canadian content system and whether this would help level the playing field with local companies that are already required to support Canadian content.

APTN chief executive Monika Ille says the broadcaster plays an important role in diversifying the industry by sharing perspectives that are under-represented by other networks and catering to audiences that are not always well-served.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 24, 2023.

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