New aboriginal channel to rely on re-runs this fall

SEAN McKIBBON
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Viewers tuning into Canada’s new Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN) may see something familiar this fall— re-runs.

But network executives hope those viewers will be uncommon. To fill its programming slots, APTN is looking at buying rights to rebroadcast shows simply because there isn’t enough new material out there.

“As far as programming goes it’s a challenge. There are a lot of great documentaries and half-hour and one-hour shows, but very little series,” says Abraham Tagalik, the chief operating officer of the new network and chairman of APTN’s progenitor, Television Northern Canada.

“There’s a really great regional aboriginal current affairs show out of Manitoba, and something similar from Saskatchewan and B.C.” says APTN’s director of communications Jennifer David.

But many people from other parts of the country haven’t seen those programs yet she says. She says the new network will provide a national venue for aboriginal productions that didn’t exist before and APTN is banking on that wider audience.

He says new, on-going shows will have to be developed, but until that happens the network will have to rely on existing material.

He says $5 million has been budgeted to aquire shows from independent producers and another pot of money— $55,000 according to APTN’s website— has been allocated for script and concept development.

“Our setting up will benefit abriginal radio, newspapers, television. The sky is really the limit interms of utilizing whats out there,” said Tagalik.

The only original programing that will be produced by the new network itself will be the news, but that won’t be up and running until January, says Tagalik. By January the network should have a studio set up at its new headquarters in Winnipeg.

A number of CBC shows have been presented to APTN as possibilities for repackaging, Tagalik says. However he couldn’t confirm whether CBC North’s Northbeat and Igalaaq — both of which are now shown on TVNC — will make it onto the new network.

“They [CBC] don’t like competing against their own network,” said Tagalik.

The new specialty cable channel, slated to go on the air Sept. 1, will broadcast about 120 hours a week, with 72 hours of programing in English, 30 hours in aboriginal languages and 18 hours in French.

A programing director and news director have been hired