WINNIPEG – Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) is calling for public support in its bid to renew its licence with the CRTC. APTN is requesting a 15 cent increase wholesale fee for the next term in order to “sustain a strong and talented Aboriginal production industry and grow opportunities to better serve the needs of Aboriginal communities through a comprehensive strategic plan,” it said in a statement.
Since 2005, APTN has received a nominal fee of 25 cents per Canadian subscriber through monthly subscription fees. This says APTN has fueled a nationwide network of Aboriginal producers, writers, directors, actors, broadcast professionals and Aboriginal news teams in every province and territory. Despite inflation and increasing costs of production and technology, APTN has continued to deliver “countless programs and content that is by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples over the past seven years on this fixed revenue.”
This is the second licence renewal in APTN’s 13 year history of serving the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada and it has outlined the following key strategies within its licence renewal application:
• As a priority, engage and serve the growing, younger Aboriginal population in Canada by reaching out to them with multi-platform, relevant and popular programming that speaks directly to their needs. This includes, but is not limited to Aboriginal language programming as a component for language education and viability.
• Solidify APTN’s position as a national network in a highly competitive environment through the enhancement of APTN National News and Current Affairs programming and infrastructure so as to increase the accessibility and local/regional content available from this unique Aboriginal perspective.
• APTN programming will be an example of leadership in the development and production of high-quality Aboriginal programming in all genres and across multiple platforms. One approach, amongst many, is to commission new and original Aboriginal programming with larger production budgets to enable better production values and the clearance of rights on all platforms. APTN will focus on creating an engaging, innovative and multi-platform experience within all categories of programs.
• Position APTN for a multi-platform future by pursuing an aggressive rich media content strategy on all platforms in all categories of programs. In addition, this strategy will provide a new digital presence, digitaldrum.ca, a dynamic and constantly refreshed platform to communicate relevant content and foster creativity and expression amongst Aboriginal youth.
Individuals who wish to learn more and participate in the process can visit aptn.ca/licencerenewal for more information and a submission guide. APTN’s application for licence renewal was officially submitted on August 17, 2012 and the deadline to receive letters is February 20, 2013.
