So northern BDU can offer the channel there
IQALUIT — Three Inuit broadcasters this week appealed to Shaw Communications to add IsumaTV’s 24-hour Inuktut-language television channel to Shaw’s satellite TV service in Nunavut.
IsumaTV Nunavut Independent Inuit Broadcasting is operated by non-profit Nunavut Independent Television Network (NITV) in partnership with Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC). The three broadcasters sent a letter September 28 to Shaw CEO Brad Shaw requesting the IsumaTV Nunavut channel be added to Shaw Direct as soon as possible.
This followed an earlier appeal on September 10 to BDU Arctic Co-ops Limited CEO Ron Wilson asking for IsumaTV Nunavut to be added to ACL’s Basic TV package on digital cable in all 26 Nunavut communities. IsumaTV’s cable channels in Igloolik, Arviat and other Nunavut communities were disconnected when ACL upgraded to its new digital network, explains a press release earlier this month.
Responding to the broadcasters’ request to have IsumaTV Nunavut migrated onto ACL’s new Basic TV digital cable package, ACL’s Wilson replied in a letter dated September 18, saying Arctic Co-ops is “very supportive of the initiative and will be pleased to work with your team to explore options to support further distribution of Inuktut language/cultural programming.”
In another press release, issued September 29, the Inuit broadcasters explained ACL chooses its digital cable channels from Shaw’s satellite selection (as part of its satellite relay distribution undertaking [SRDU] service), and therefore they have taken their appeal to Shaw, too. ACL says in order to offer the channel, it must be able to pull it in from Shaw.
The broadcasters point out the basic channel packages from Shaw and ACL show less than 1% Inuktut content in Nunavut where 84% of citizens are Inuit. By adding IsumaTV’s 168 hours a week of Inuktut programming, the basic TV packages would increase Inuktut content to 5%, says the press release.
The broadcasters say they are urging Shaw “to live up to commitments Shaw made in its 2017 CRTC license renewal hearings ‘to encourage major broadcasters to turn to Indigenous producers for content,’” says the press release. If Shaw were to add IsumaTV to Shaw Direct, the channel would also be available to Canadians nationally.
IBC CEO Manitok Thompson says she is determined to get IsumaTV on cable and satellite as soon as possible.
“Elders have been waiting for over 20 years for this to happen. IBC maintains a collection of 40 years of priceless historic films that include 9,000 hours of footage and 18,000 programs, some in dialects that are being lost right now. We have collected all of this material, and it needs to breathe out into Inuit homes. We will not stop until it does,” Thompson said in the release.
NITV executive director Lucy Tulugarjuk said she remembers when she first saw her own community channel on television when she was just seven, adding: “To see Inuktitut, hearing it, feeling it, knowing the faces from your community, is very important and you see yourself and your ancestors. I know there is a demand there, it is something that Inuit want.”
The Inuit broadcasters’ efforts have garnered support from the Canada Media Fund’s president and CEO, Valerie Creighton, and the Indigenous Screen Office’s executive director, Jesse Wente, as well as political support from Iqaluit mayor Kenny Bell, Nunavut Legislative Assembly MLA and speaker Paul Quassa, and Hall Beach acting mayor Stacey Kadlutsiak.
We asked Shaw Communications for comment on the request and the company said it is gathering information at this point. “We were pleased to receive a letter from NITV, IBC and Isuma Group on September 28. We have reached out to learn more about their channel,” said Chethan Lakshman, Shaw’s vice-president, external affairs.
As many questions remain, Cartt.ca will have more on this story soon.
