(Login Required)Key events from the history of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) 1978 to 2012
2012
October 10
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) has made it onto the list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. The national award recognizes employers that lead in their industries by providing exceptional workplaces for their employees. The nomination process evaluates everything from employee communications, community involvement, work atmosphere, benefits, training and development.
June 23
APTN is hosting its 6th annual Aboriginal Day Live and Celebration, on location at The Forks in Winnipeg and the First Nations University of Canada in Regina.
April
APTN National News reporters Jorge Barrera and Kenneth Jackson win investigative journalism award in the "Open Television" (less than five minutes) category for their story "Water Exploitation – Bruce Carson." The award was presented at the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Awards Gala in Toronto.
March
APTN National News team's Rob Smith received the “World Indigenous Journalist Honour" at the 2012 World Indigenous Journalist Awards in Norway. Smith won for his story “Journey Home," about the return of the Nisga’a People to their homeland. Jorge Barrera, Ken Jackson, Paul Barnsley and Mark Blackburn obtained a “World Indigenous Journalist Special Recognition” for the story “Water Exploitation – Bruce Carson."
APTN was the only Canadian television broadcaster to provide extensive coverage of the 2012 Arctic Winter Games happening March 4 to 10 from Whitehorse, Yukon.
January
APTN National News provides special coverage of historic Crown-First Nations Gathering in Ottawa.
2011
November
APTN recognized as one of the top 25 employers in Manitoba for the fourth consecutive year. The announcement, which was made in the Winnipeg Free Press, was part of the annual Canada's Top Employers survey done by Toronto-based Mediacorp Canada Inc.
September 1
APTN celebrates its 12th anniversary.
June 18
APTN hosts fifth annual Aboriginal Day Live concert live and online at The Forks, Winnipeg, Manitoba. With an attendance of over 30,000 the historical Forks site is once again a great gathering place for Aboriginal Peoples.
June
APTN approves a new business plan developed and focused on youth as a primary target audience. This new plan, supporting the new strategic plan, will be the basis of APTN’s CRTC licence renewal strategy and includes a proposal for a new channel in Aboriginal languages only.
March
APTN develops a strategic plan that focuses the network on becoming a true multimedia company with a strong emphasis on youth as a target demographic.
2010
December 16
APTN reporter Tina House and the APTN Investigates team win the 2010 Amnesty International Canada Human Rights Journalism Award for their report on Missing Women. The award celebrates journalistic accomplishments in bringing public awareness of human rights violations.
September 1
APTN celebrates its 11th anniversary.
June 20
APTN hosts its fourth annual Aboriginal Day Live celebration from dual venues in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Ottawa, Ontario. Headline performers include Chantal Kreviazuk, Jana Mashonee and Kinnie Starr.
March 8-11
APTN National News premieres Perspectives on the Environment, a week dedicated to environmental issues affecting communities across Canada.
March 3
APTN announces the 2010 launch of APTN First Tracks. Through this annual initiative, up to five Canadian Aboriginal musicians or musical groups will be chosen to have a music video produced from a song that is featured on a current CD or soon-to-be released CD.
February 22
APTN adds select programming to website offering complete seasons and episodes of select programs for online viewing at aptn.ca, with plans to add over 30 additional series and specials to its online library.
February 16
APTN launches myAPTN Insiders, an exciting new online research initiative that will assist APTN in collecting surveyed information while offering members exciting chances to win a variety of prizes.
February 12
APTN hits the airwaves as the world's first Aboriginal Official Broadcaster of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (February 12th - 28th), broadcasting 10 hours of daily coverage throughout the Games in eight Aboriginal languages, French and English. APTN was one of 12 television networks within Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, which also consisted of 19 official radio stations, a national print publication and two dedicated websites. Together, the Consortium provided Canadians with an unprecedented 4,800 hours of multilingual, multi-platform coverage of the games.
February 11
APTN National News begins broadcasts in a new 30-minute format, seven days a week during the course of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (February 12th - 28th).
February 8
APTN launches its high definition (HD) channel on Compton Communications in the communities of Port Perry and Uxbridge, Ontario. Compton Communications is a member of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
January 14
APTN launches HD channel on Videotron, serving communities in Quebec. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
2009
November 5
APTN hosts Rising Stars concert event in Winnipeg. Rising Stars is an opportunity for emerging Aboriginal artists from across North America to showcase their music to vital industry connections during Aboriginal Music Week.
November 3
APTN launches HD channel on Cogeco in Ontario. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
November 2
APTN recognized as one of the top 25 employers in Manitoba. The announcement, which was made in the Winnipeg Free Press, was part of the annual Canada's Top Employers survey done by Toronto-based Mediacorp Canada Inc.
October 14
APTN, in partnership with Animiki See Digital Production launches Digital Nations; a website featuring 75 short films and vignettes showcasing Aboriginal art, culture and history
September 30
APTN launches HD channel on Citywest Cable in the cities of Terrace and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Citywest Cable is a member of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
September 11
APTN News and Current Affairs premieres two original current affairs shows hosted by Cheryl McKenzie: In Focus and APTN Investigates. In Focus will provide in-depth analysis to reveal the "story behind the story," while APTN Investigates will take viewers beyond the headlines and closed doors to uncover the truth behind some of the most controversial news stories affecting Aboriginal Peoples today.
September 1
APTN celebrates its 10th anniversary. A 90-minute HD television special is produced to celebrate APTN's extraordinary achievements since its inception. Made up of three 30-minute episodes, highlights of APTN's 10 year history are examined, as well the direction the network is heading..
July 21-23
APTN National News airs special coverage of the Assembly of First Nations General Assembly and election of National Chief in Calgary, Alberta.
June 20
APTN hosts its third annual Aboriginal Day Live celebration from dual venues in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Whitehorse, Yukon. Headline performers include Buffy Sainte-Marie, Crystal Shawanda, Kinnie Starr and Eagle & Hawk.
May 21
APTN, in partnership with Telefilm Canada, launches the second edition of its Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program. Launched in 2008, the program aims to encourage and support Aboriginal filmmakers to develop original script material that will be attractive to producers, financiers and other film industry representatives in the marketplace.
May 13
APTN serves as sponsor and broadcaster of the Rise Again 2009 Red Cross Manitoba Flood Relief Concert, a fundraiser in aid of Manitoba flood victims.
May 4
APTN launches HD channel on SaskTel in Saskatchewan. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
April 14
APTN launches its HD channel on MTS HDTV in Manitoba. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
March 25
APTN airs a special two-hour season finale of Contact, focusing on Aboriginal post-secondary education. The finale, broadcast live from the First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan, marked the end of the long-running news and current affairs show which began in 2000.
March 2
APTN launches refresh of network including on-air, online and news production components.
January 13
APTN named official broadcaster of the 2010 Olympic Games as a member of Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, providing live coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with 10 hours of daily coverage in a mix of Aboriginal, French and English languages in HD format.
2008
October 14
APTN recognized as one of the top 20 employers in Manitoba. The announcement, which was made in the Winnipeg Free Press, was part of the annual Canada's Top Employers survey done by Toronto-based Mediacorp Canada Inc.
June 21
APTN hosts second annual Aboriginal Day Live concert, broadcast nationally from two stages at The Forks, Winnipeg, Manitoba and in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
April 1
APTN launches HD channel on Bell ExpressVu. APTN HD carries 17 hours per week of distinctive true HD programming.
2007
November
APTN launches Northern Distribution replacement program. This will see the old analog over-the-air (OTA) towers replaced by satellite dishes and cable connections to all the homes in the north currently served by OTA transmitters.
September
APTN, in association with Canadian Heritage, launches digitaldrum.ca website showcasing Aboriginal culture, history, people, gifts, innovation, creativity and languages through video content that includes the APTN collection of vignettes, as well as user-generated video, audio, text and image content.
June 21
APTN hosts the inaugural Aboriginal Day Live concert in the park, broadcast nationally from network headquarters in Winnipeg.
APTN installs two giant outdoor LCD screens on the exterior of its Winnipeg headquarters.
April
AWARD APTN Camera Editor/Operator wins National Cinematography Award.
2006
October 2
APTN launches third broadcast feed - APTN West.
September
APTN opens news bureau in Iqaluit, Nunavut
August
APTN opens news bureau in Edmonton, Alberta.
May
APTN opens news bureau in Vancouver, British Columbua.
March
AWARD AWARD APTN Acting Director of Marketing receives Canadian Women in Communications mentorship award.
2005
September
APTN re-launches a new and improved interactive website drawing in 34,000 unique visitors a month.
August 31
CRTC grants seven-year licence renewal to APTN.
April
NOMINATION APTN National News host nominated for YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction award.
APTN is a finalist for Best Website juried by Radio and Television News Directors Association.
February
AWARD APTN awarded Employer of the Year by Canadian Women in Communications.
AWARD APTN National News director awarded Order of Canada.
2004
October
NOMINATION APTN nominated for a Canadian Association of Broadcasters award.
AWARD APTN National News director wins a Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award.
September
APTN launches news bureau in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
September 1
APTN celebrates its five-year anniversary.
July 12
The CRTC renders its decision on Public Notice CRTC 2004-46 against imposing channel placement.
June
APTN National News hosts two historic all-party debates and launches an interactive news component of the APTN website in conjunction with federal election coverage.
June
AWARD APTN receives two awards from the Canadian Ethnic Journalists and Writers Club.
April
AWARD APTN wins an Advertising Association of Winnipeg Signature Award.
March
APTN and Rogers OMNI Television sign a cultural alliance.
2003
October
APTN National News airs coverage for the National President of the Métis National Council.
APTN National News provides coverage of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami elections.
September
APTN launches news bureau in Montreal, Quebec.
July
APTN National News airs live coverage of the 2003 Assembly of First Nations elections for National Chief and contributes content to a multitude of national broadcasters.
January 6
APTN launches a news bureau in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
2002
November 4
APTN Board of Directors announce the selection of a new Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jean LaRose, original member of the APTN Advisory Committee to establish APTN.
October 28
APTN launches daily news program, APTN National News, with the first Aboriginal television journalism team in Canada and the world.
APTN launches third season with 14 new shows and begins a full 24-hour broadcast day.
October 16
APTN provides comments in response to Public Notice CRTC 2002-49 Call for Comments on the channel placement of services whose distribution has been required pursuant to section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act.
July 28 to August 4
APTN, as National Host Broadcaster for the 2002 North American Indigenous Games, airs one-hour live coverage daily of the largest gathering of Aboriginal youth athletes in North America. APTN airs 2.5 hours of exclusive, live, 13-camera mobile coverage of opening ceremonies.
2001
August 15
APTN appears at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and presents a submission entitled "Towards a Truer Mirror" in response to the terms of reference (The State of the Canadian Broadcasting System) issued in May 2001.
June
APTN InVision News sweeps the Native American Journalists Native Media Awards with four First Place awards in Buffalo, New York, USA.
January 5
CRTC issues Decision 2001-01 to amend licence to reduce APTN Canadian content requirements from 90% to 70%, still 10% higher than CBC. APTN exceeds Canadian content at a consistent average of over 80%.
2000
November 27
APTN InVision News airs live coverage of Canada's national elections from an Aboriginal perspective from news bureaus in Halifax, Ottawa, Vancouver, Toronto, and Winnipeg.
October 2
APTN launches second season with 20 new programs in three strands; APTN Entertainment, APTN Perspectives, and APTN Kids, chosen from over 1,000 proposals by the Aboriginal independent production sector.
July 12
APTN InVision News broadcasts live coverage of the Assembly of First Nations elections from Ottawa.
May
APTN opens Ottawa News Bureau located in the Press Building on Sparks Street.
April 16
APTN launches InVision News, the first national television news program that airs two days a week.
March 30
APTN launches Contact, the first live television national call-in current affairs program about Aboriginal issues in Canada.
1999
September 1
APTN is launched nationally to over nine million homes via cable television, direct-to-home and wireless service viewers.
February 22
CRTC grants a broadcast licence to APTN.
1998
November
Television Northern Canada (TVNC) appears at a CRTC public hearing to defend and discuss the application. Twenty individuals also present interventions in support of TVNC.
October
TVNC receives more than 300 letters of support from all regions of Canada.
August
The TVNC application becomes a public document available for viewing. TVNC begins to gather letters of support for APTN.
June
TVNC submits an application to the CRTC for a broadcast licence for APTN. This application contains full details on programming schedule, financial projections, technical specifications, marketing studies and structure.
February
TVNC establishes an Advisory Group of southern Aboriginal Peoples involved in the media to assist the TVNC Board of Directors in meeting the needs and aspirations of southern Aboriginal producers. Members are: Gary Farmer, Alanis Obomsawin, Roman Bittman, Jim Compton, Barb Cranmer, John Kim Bell, Ghislain Picard and Jean LaRose.
February
In Public Notice CRTC 1998-8 the CRTC recognizes TVNC as "a unique and significant undertaking" and that a national Aboriginal channel should be "widely available throughout Canada in order to serve the diverse needs of the various Aboriginal communities, as well as other Canadians." The Commission also states it would consider any application by TVNC designed to achieve these objectives.
January
TVNC conducts an Angus Reid survey that finds two out of three Canadians support the idea of a national Aboriginal TV network, even if it would mean displacing a currently offered service.
1997
December
TVNC representatives attend the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Annual General Assembly where the AFN unanimously passes a resolution supporting TVNC efforts to establish APTN.
November
TVNC appears before the CRTC hearings into third national networks and contends that Aboriginal broadcasting should be considered alongside English and French as vital broadcasting services.
June
TVNC Board of Directors votes to move towards the establishment of a national Aboriginal television network.
1992
Inaugural launch of TVNC.
1991
CRTC licenses TVNC.
The new Broadcasting Act recognizes the significance of Aboriginal peoples within Canadian society.
1989
Minister of Communications announces support for a northern Aboriginal network to be known as TVNC.
1987
Northern Aboriginal communications societies, the CBC and the Government of the Northwest Territories meet to discuss the future of television in the North.
1986
The Task Force on Broadcasting Policy (Caplan-Sauvageau Report) recommends a satellite transponder be dedicated to servicing northern communities.
1985
CRTC releases its Northern Native Broadcasting policy statement. This policy establishes certain short-term measures to ensure Aboriginal broadcasters have access to existing northern distribution systems, but it also emphasizes that a dedicated northern transponder would be required to handle the volume of programming.
1983
Government of Canada announces the Northern Broadcasting Policy and the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program. Public funds are allocated for the production of radio and television programs by 13 Native communications societies across the north.
1981
The CRTC licenses CANCOM to deliver a range of southern programming into northern and remote communities. As a quid pro quo, CANCOM is required to provide assistance to northern Aboriginal broadcasters.
1980
The CRTC establishes the Committee on Extension of Service to Northern and Remote Communities (the Therrien Committee). The subsequent report stressed the urgent need for special measures to allow Aboriginal Peoples to preserve their languages and foster their culture through various broadcasting initiatives.
1978-1982
The Anik B Experiments: Inuit organizations in Nunavut and Northern Quebec participate in pilot projects to test communications satellites in applications such as TV broadcasting, community communications, tele-education and tele-health.
