National public broadcasters CBC/Radio-Canada and Radio New Zealand (RNZ) announced Tuesday a new partnership agreement focused on the key areas of Indigenous cultures and languages, podcasts and journalist training.
According to a press release, the threefold agreement will see the two public broadcasters do the following: share knowledge, experiences and best practices to better reflect the respective diversity of Indigenous cultures and languages; share podcast content and explore collaboration on cross-promotion and possible co-productions; and share knowledge, best practices and learnings about journalist training and explore potential content exchanges and collaboration.
The memorandum of understanding between the two broadcasters was signed by CBC/Radio-Canada’s president and CEO, Catherine Tait, and RNZ’s chair of its board of governors, Jim Mather, in Prague at the Embassy of Canada to the Czech Republic, just ahead of the annual Public Broadcasters International conference, PBI Prague 2023.
“As the national public broadcasters of two countries rich in cultural diversity, we have much in common and much to learn from each other,” Tait said in the press release. “Through our participation in multilateral forums, such as the Global Task Force for public media, and many bilateral exchanges, we’ve planted the seeds of a fruitful partnership over the past few years. Today, I am thrilled to see it blossom with the signing of this new partnership agreement.”
“During a time where misinformation and disinformation are rife, the need for independent public media has never been more significant,” RNZ’s Mather said. “Our partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada signifies exciting new opportunities for collaboration and a chance to leverage our strengths together. Learning new and improved ways to better reflect Te ao Māori in our content and throughout our organisation is also a pivotal next step and something we are committed to, in the present and future. I’m excited about this partnership and the ways in which we can enhance public media for generations to come.”
Tait is scheduled to speak at the PBI conference on Thursday, Sept. 21 in a session on threats to journalists’ safety and how public media can respond. Mather will speak later the same day in a session on diversity, equality and inclusion.
The two will also participate in a meeting of the Global Task Force for public media on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Established in 2020 and chaired by Tait, the Global Task Force “promotes and defends the values of public media — access, accuracy, accountability, creativity, impartiality, independence and high standards of journalism — all of which underpin informed and healthy democracies,” the press release says.
Photo of Catherine Tait and Jim Mather signing the new partnership agreement, borrowed from CBC/Radio-Canada’s website. Photo credit: Leah Takata.
