GATINEAU — As the first phase of its consultation on the development of a new Indigenous broadcasting policy in Canada, the CRTC released today the results of its early engagement sessions with First Nations, Métis and Inuit broadcasters, content creators and artists during which the Commission gathered input to establish the conduct and scope of the next phase of the policy development.
In June 2019, the CRTC launched a three-phase process to co-develop a new Indigenous broadcasting policy in collaboration with Indigenous peoples. Phase one consisted of 12 engagement sessions — nine in-person and three teleconference sessions — held across Canada between June 2019 and February 2020. One of the main goals of these meetings was to help identify the needs of Indigenous people within the broadcasting system in Canada.
Phase two of the process will be an upcoming public consultation, and phase three will see the Commission present preliminary views to Indigenous participants from the public consultation process, which will allow the opportunity to provide further comments on the potential impacts of the proposed policy.
In an executive summary of its “What You Said” report, based on the feedback received during the early engagement sessions, the CRTC notes participants stressed the importance of respecting the oral traditions of Indigenous peoples and to include in-person consultation where and when practically feasible. However, as the CRTC says here, in-person meetings may not be possible at this time, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Commission is considering other ways to conduct meaningful consultations, with details to follow.
Participants expressed the importance of recognizing distinct groups among First Nations, Inuit and Métis people and gathering the views of different communities, with consultations conducted in a culturally sensitive manner that is mindful of the history of Indigenous broadcasting and respectful of Indigenous languages and cultural protocols.
Attendees said consultations should seek the viewpoints of youth and Elders, and recognize the importance of understanding the broadcasting needs of Indigenous people living in both urban and rural areas, including Northern and remote communities. Participants also spoke of the importance of ensuring some form of compensation for Indigenous participants’ time, knowledge and expertise.
Participants also said consultations should include relevant policy background information, such as an overview of standard CRTC policies, to ensure everyone has a basic knowledge of the current regulatory framework first.
To ensure a high level of participation, a variety of outreach methods were recommended, including public service announcements on community radio and local television stations and social media, and direct communication with community leadership. Participants stressed consultations should be transparent and based on principles of consensus-building.
When asked what is working well already in the broadcasting industry in Canada, participants noted Indigenous talent in audio and audio-visual content creation and production is abundant, and the role of Indigenous radio in supporting Indigenous music artists and helping communities to reclaim their language and culture was identified as a success factor. The Indigenous Screen Office was noted as an important initiative in supporting Indigenous storytelling through film, and participants also praised the establishment of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), which gives a voice to Indigenous creators. Some participants viewed locally focused CBC North as a successful broadcasting model.
Several issues were identified during the early engagement sessions, including:
- The significant revenue challenges faced by Indigenous radio stations, which currently must be owned and controlled by not-for-profit organizations;
- The need for improved broadcasting infrastructure and equipment, particularly as online platforms are becoming increasingly important for consuming audio and audio-visual programming;
- The challenges faced by Indigenous music and audio-visual content creators, who struggle to reach wider audiences and experience a lack of investment and funding;
- The need for non-Indigenous broadcasters to acknowledge their role in supporting and reflecting Indigenous peoples and Indigenous content;
- The need for more Indigenous people to be employed throughout the broadcasting system and to be involved in decision-making processes, especially when developing funding programs and criteria to support the creation of Indigenous content; and
- An overall need for equity, with policies that aim to level long-standing inequalities so that Indigenous artists, content creators and broadcasters are on par with their non-Indigenous counterparts in areas such as funding, programming visibility, and access to technology and infrastructure.
As identified by the participants, the opportunities for improvement and possible solutions to address some of the above-mentioned issues included:
- Funding support for Indigenous community radio broadcasters;
- Support for Indigenous artists and content creators to aid discovery and remuneration, via a universally accessible online catalogue, for example;
- Youth education and training in broadcasting via well-funded mentorship and employment programs;
- The establishment of a national association to represent Indigenous broadcasters;
- The creation of databases and archives to ensure Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can find, store and access Indigenous music, film and television programming;
- The potential role of the CBC in showcasing Indigenous content and providing employment opportunities for more Indigenous people in key programming and management positions; and
- Indigenous communities establishing their own policies, infrastructure and funding mechanisms.
The importance of additional and sustainable funding was consistently identified as a key element to help remedy many of the issues mentioned throughout the engagement sessions. Many participants suggested mandatory contributions be established by the CRTC to help funding issues and to level the playing field.
With regard to the CRTC itself, participants noted the need for the Commission to improve Indigenous representation within its organization, to build trusted relationships with Indigenous broadcasters and content creators, and to regulate the broadcasting industry to ensure the accurate representation of Indigenous peoples. Participants suggested an Indigenous committee or working group should be set up with the CRTC to help improve lines of communication and provide easy access to information and guidance when needed.
There was overall consensus the CRTC’s regulations for mainstream media should include provisions for reflecting and showcasing Indigenous content and talent.
Participants also noted the importance of studying broadcasting-related obligations found in reports such as those stemming from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls when creating the new Indigenous broadcasting policy.
