WINNIPEG – The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network has modified its programming for this fall, launching October 3rd. 
News at Noon (1 p.m. ET) with Cheryl McKenzie is the first. McKenzie (right) is a member of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba and joined the APTN National News team in 2001 as a reporter. She is known for breaking news stories which focus on health and social issues and the noon news will include updates on APTN’s prime time news headlines. It will also feature its seven bureaus across the country. Each bureau will take turns appearing on the show to give a regional report.
The show will have frequent in-studio interviews featuring people in the headlines.
With a new time, APTN National News Primetime will air daily at 7 p.m. ET, repeating at 2:30 a.m. ET. Hosted by Nola Wuttunee, this staple of the channel’s news programming will see reporting from more locations and more news. Wuttunee has been the anchor for the past four years and is a member of the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan.
On October 7, 2005 APTN National News: Contact launches its 7th season and welcomes new host Madeleine Allakariallak.
APTN also announced a new management team. Vera Houle is the new director of news and current affairs. Houle is a member of Manitoba¹s Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and has nearly 15 years of experience as a television reporter, producer and executive producer. She worked for CTV/CKY for nearly 10 years prior to joining APTN in April 2001.
In October of 2002, Houle became the communications advisor for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. She returned to the APTN News team in January of 2005 as the executive producer and was appointed in June to the position of director of news and current affairs.
“There is a great sense of excitement in our news department with so many positive changes including our noon edition and of course, our amazing group of hosts, reporters and producers,” says Houle in a press release. “Viewers can expect to see stories from more locations than ever before and a stronger connection to our cultures and traditions.”
Rosanna Deerchild is now executive producer of news and current affairs. A Cree from South Indian Lake, Manitoba, she has a proven track record of almost ten years of print, radio and television journalism, specializing in Aboriginal issues and stories.
Originally employed as the southern news producer, Deerchild was responsible for finding news and developing contacts from the channel’s western and northern provinces/territories. Since then, her responsibilities have grown considerably, incorporating reporting, anchoring, and news production.
Deerchild has been with APTN: National News since its inception in February 2000.
