Thank you, Chair.
My name is Jean La Rose. I'm the chief executive officer of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the chairperson of First Peoples Radio, which I will be speaking about in a moment. I am joined today by Sky Bridges, APTN's chief operating officer. We will be alternating as we go through the text.
We are pleased to present today on the theme of remuneration models for artists and the creative industries. Let me speak first about APTN and the role we play in the indigenous television industry.
The launch of APTN in 1999 had an enormous impact on indigenous participation in the television sector. Before APTN, the creative opportunities for indigenous peoples were limited. For the most part, indigenous production took place within the framework of the northern native broadcast access program and the funding provided by Canadian Heritage to the native communications societies.
The societies played a key role in producing indigenous content, especially in indigenous languages. However, the resources available to the sector did not support a great deal of content, and it was not available throughout Canada. APTN was formed by some of the communications societies to meet these challenges, and they are still APTN's members.
One of APTN's goals when it launched was to produce more higher-value content in all television formats, including drama, documentaries, news, lifestyle and entertainment, and to make that content available to all Canadians.
APTN has been a success. You are no doubt familiar with many of our programs, including leading dramas such as Mohawk Girls, created by Tracey Deer and Cynthia Knight and produced by Rezolution Pictures, and our more recent reality TV production, First Contact, which takes six average Canadians with strong opinions about indigenous peoples on a 28-day journey into indigenous Canada. First Contact is based on an Australian format and is a co-production of Indios Productions and Animiki See Digital Production, APTN's associated production company.
We now support hundreds of hours of original indigenous production in all formats, including our award-winning news and information content. We produce and acquire content in English and French, and in at least 15 indigenous languages, each year.
When APTN launched in 1999, there were only a small number of independent indigenous producers in Canada. Now we commission and acquire content from close to 100 different companies, in addition to our own productions. Collectively, the sector employs hundreds of people in front of and behind the camera. It's a remarkable achievement.
Because APTN is distributed nationally as a basic service on cable, satellite and IPTV platforms, this content is available to all Canadians. It is something in which we believe all Canadians can take pride.
When we consider, therefore, remuneration models for creators, I think it is sometimes important to return to first principles. APTN created a space in the broadcasting system for indigenous expression. Without APTN, the opportunities were almost non-existent, and without opportunities, there was no basis for meaningful remuneration of any kind.