The World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network
Indigenous television broadcasters around the world are forming new global networks to assert their rights outlined in UNDRIP. This network will elevate issues that impact Indigenous Peoples to the mainstream public agenda in nation states where their territories exist and counterbalance the absence of their presence and programming within mainstream media.
Founded in 2008
The World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) is a non-profit organisation that brings together the global indigenous broadcasting community. It aims to provide media coverage that promotes and celebrates the unique culture of Indigenous peoples. It also ensures that Indigenous issues are included in national communications.
WITBN was founded in 2008 by Maori Television in New Zealand and includes indigenous broadcasters from Australia, Fiji, Ireland, Hawaii, NRK Sapmi in Norway, Scotland and Taiwan. It aims to unite the global indigenous broadcasting community and create a platform for sharing best practices.
APTN is Canada’s national Aboriginal television channel and one of the founding members of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters network. Its content reflects the cultures, languages and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and beyond. Its programming includes documentaries, news and entertainment specials, children’s series, cooking shows, and more.
NITV
When NITV began broadcasting in July 2007 with just two hours of dedicated Indigenous programming, it was a long-fought milestone. Its staff were passionate about delivering on the vision of a nationally focused Indigenous television service with Indigenous people telling their own stories and being in control of how they are portrayed.
Now NITV is Australia’s national free-to-air channel for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and culture. It features a daily news service created for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, stunning dramas, award-winning children’s programs, acclaimed documentaries and a variety of cultural programming.
As the nation prepares to vote on Constitutional change, NITV is presenting a suite of programs reflecting First Nations perspectives and engaging with non-Indigenous Australians. This includes the premiere of a series of new NITV original documentaries and a special episode of SBS’s Insight hosted by Karla Grant, where she will meet with First Nations mentors who have changed their lives.
APTN
APTN is the world’s first national Indigenous television network, with a mandate to celebrate Aboriginal cultures, identities and languages. It is a non-profit corporation funded through subscriber fees, advertising sales and partnerships. Almost half of its programming is in English, while the rest is in French and Indigenous languages.
The company’s television shows include children’s programs, news broadcasts and dramas. Some of them have won awards, such as the gritty drama Blackstone and the female-centred comedy Mohawk Girls. APTN also airs a series about missing and murdered women, called Taken.
APTN has recently launched a streaming service, APTN lumi. This is a great way to watch TV shows and other programming on the go. It features a wide variety of Indigenous content, including kids’ shows and documentaries.
Isuma TV
Isuma produces independent community-based media aimed at preserving and enhancing Inuit culture and language. It also creates jobs and economic development in Igloolik and Nunavut. Its films and Internet content tell authentic Inuit stories to both Inuit and non-Inuit audiences worldwide.
Its early video works, including the 13-part reenactment series Nunavut (Our Land) of 1995, captured the attention of the international film world. The company’s first feature, Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, went on to win the Camera d’Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and six Genie Awards.
The group is now working on Uvagut TV, a free online platform for global Indigenous media that allows remote communities with low bandwidth to access videos. The channel will allow viewers to connect with each other and share ideas.
Maori Television
Maori Television was launched in 2004 and now has two channels – one that is entirely in te reo maori and another that carries a mix of local content and international ‘arthouse’ films. Its ratings have risen steadily since its inception and it has become the de facto public broadcaster in New Zealand.
The channel emerged from a series of cultural and political challenges in the bicultural nation’s televisual democracy. Its emergence has highlighted the vicissitudes of cross-ethnic representational politics. This book traces the complex dynamics that underpin Maori Television’s first ten years. It is the first study of this station by university researchers. It examines how the network has staked its claim as Aotearoa’s indigenous TV. It demonstrates how the channel informs, educates and entertains.