GATINEAU – The CRTC today released a notice of consultation for requests made last year by Nunavut Independent Television Network (NITV) and Natyf Inc. for mandatory distribution of their discretionary services, Uvagut TV and Natyf TV respectively, as part of the digital basic service.
The consultation will be held on Jan. 10, 2023, at 11 a.m.
NITV, which proposed a monthly persubscriber wholesale rate of $0.09 for five years, is applying for mandatory distribution across Canada while Natyf, which proposed a rate of $0.12 for five years, is asking for mandatory distribution in Quebec only.
Uvagut TV is an Indigenous-language discretionary service and Natyf TV is a French-language discretionary service. Both services are currently operating under the CRTC’s exemption order for discretionary TV programming undertakings that serve less than 200,000 subscribers. NITV indicated, however, that Uvagut TV has passed the subscriber threshold and separately requested a broadcasting licence for it.
NITV, a not-for-profit organization, “stated that Uvagut TV, as a small independent service created by and for the Inuit, fills an important void by offering not only programming for Inuit, but also by reinforcing ties and fostering an understanding between Inuit and all Canadians,” the CRTC’s notice of consultation says. “The applicant indicated that Uvagut TV broadcasts Inuit-made children’s shows, movies, documentaries, and informational, cultural, public access and current affairs programming.”
NITV told the CRTC mandatory distribution would mean it would have the financing needed to increase Uvagut TV’s personnel and operations and to respect its commitments including those to original Canadian productions and Canadian programming expenditures.
Natyf, which offers a multicultural Francophone public programming on culture, fashion, well-being and the arts, told the CRTC “it will not be able to meet its objectives, such as bringing about the emergence of a new generation of Francophone creators from racialized communities, if it does not receive wider distribution allowing it to connect with its target public and if it does not benefit from greater financial support,” the CRTC’s notice says.
The deadline to submit interventions, comments or answers as part of the consultation is Nov. 7, 2022.
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