Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

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Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Type	Broadcast & cable television network
Country	Canada
Availability	National
Owner	Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Key people	Jean LaRose (CEO)
Launch date	1992
Past names	Television Northern Canada
Website	www.aptn.ca

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, or APTN, is a Canadian television network which airs and produces programming made by, for, and about Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The service first went on the air in 1992 as Television Northern Canada, and was originally available only in the territories of Canada. It broadcast on CHTY-TV, channel 11 in Yellowknife; CHWT-TV, channel 11 in Whitehorse, and several rebroadcasters across the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador. TVNC re-branded itself as APTN and made its debut as a national network on September 1, 1999. The network is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

APTN's service consists of three different feeds: a terrestrial feed for the Arctic territories (the original TVNC network); and two national cable feeds -- one each for eastern and western Canada. The Western feed, which is a three-hour delay of the eastern Canada feed, began service on October 2, 2006. Unlike most other timeshifted feeds that delineate at the Ontario/Manitoba border, APTN's feeds are delineated at the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. The network's programming is approximately 60% English, 15% French, and 25% Aboriginal languages.

Since its launch in 1999, the CRTC has required all Canadian cable television operators to carry APTN. It is one of four officially licenced television networks in Canada, thus placing it on par with CBC, Radio-Canada and TVA. However, APTN's ratings are very low outside the Arctic territories. Many cable companies outside the Arctic place it above channel 60 on their systems. The CRTC has considered requiring cable companies to move APTN to a lower dial position.

The network often airs mainstream feature films that have little to do with Aboriginals other than having stars with some aboriginal ancestry, like Speed and JFK. The channel has also occasionally purchased Canadian broadcast rights to international programming, such as Bro'Town from New Zealand.

The network also produces news programming, including APTN National News Daytime, anchored by Cheryl McKenzie, APTN National News Primetime, anchored by Donna Smith, and the weekly newsmagazine APTN National News Contact, anchored by Madeleine Allakariallak.

[edit] External link

• Official Site

Broadcast television networks and systems in Canada
English networks/systems: CBC | CTV | Global | CH | Citytv | A-Channel
French networks: Radio-Canada | TQS | TVA
Multi-language networks/systems: OMNI | APTN
Provincial educational networks: TVO · TFO · ACCESS · SCN · Knowledge Network · Télé-Québec Regional sub-systems: NTV/GWTV | CTV Northern Ont. | CTV Atlantic
See Also: Local Canadian TV Stations | Local American TV Stations (K) | Local American TV Stations (W) | North American TV | Canadian networks | American networks | Mexican networks | Superstations | List of local television stations in North America | Local Mexican TV Stations | List of American Over-The-Air Networks | Template:Insular Areas TV | List of Canadian Over-The-Air Networks