TORONTO, May 24, 2024
/CNW/ - OMNI's ethnic community television independent
producers have launched the 'This Show is Made with Zero Support
from the Government' campaign. Last week, tens of third-language
television programs began airing public service announcements
urging the government to immediately open doors to funding in order
to save independent ethnic community television in
Canada.
"Politicians and government like to talk about diversity, but
the shocking paradox is that in a country as diverse as
Canada, programs like ours receive
absolutely no government support, unlike large broadcasters or
independent producers of television content in English and French,"
said Kiu Rezvanifar, President of the Canadian Ethnic Media
Association and producer of two shows targeting the Iranian
community.
"One in three Canadians report being ethnic Canadians, and one
in four Canadians speak a language at home other than French or
English. Support and consideration for ethnic independent
production, producers, and this ethnic media sector must be
commensurate with Canada's
multilingual, multicultural population. The systemic
marginalization and lack of support for this ethnic media sector
contradict the official policy of multiculturalism, which is
cemented in legislation and our constitution, and is contrary to
the spirit and reality of Canadian diversity," states Madeline Ziniak, C.M., O.Ont., Chair of the
Canadian Ethnic Media Association.
"The situation is extremely frustrating. Many of our shows are
on the edge of closing down. In the past six months, we have been
talking to the Department of Canadian Heritage and other government
officials about the urgency of the situation, but these
conversations have not resulted in any traction," said Igor Malakhov, producer and editorial director
of TV Vestnik.ca (a weekly show in Russian).
The producers emphasize that revenues generated from
advertisements are insufficient to maintain quality coverage of
topics significant to their communities. Organizers of the 'This
Show is Made with Zero Support from the Government' campaign
say it was launched out of frustration with government
inaction.
"After banging on the doors of government officials about the
fate of ethnic community television in Canada without much result for many years now,
I cannot hear any more statements about how supportive the
government is of diversity in every sector. Currently, these are
only words for independent ethnic community television, and I hope
our campaign will help the government understand that they can do
much better on that front," added Igor
Malakhov.
"We are urging the government to recognize the crucial role
independent ethnic community television producers play in
maintaining cultural diversity and providing a voice for
underrepresented communities. Without immediate and meaningful
support, the rich tapestry of ethnic media in Canada is at risk of unraveling" said Kiu
Rezvanifar.
Interesting Facts about Diversity in the Canadian Television
sector:
- In the fiscal year 2023-2024, the Canada Media Fund allocated
$336 million to support Canada's television and digital media
industry. However, less than 0.0128% of these funds ($4.3 million) were allocated to the 'Diverse
Languages' program, benefiting only seven companies
nationwide.
- Bill C-11 unequivocally mandates the government to uphold and
bolster the production and broadcasting of content in a multitude
of languages, reflecting the diverse ethnocultural composition
of Canadian society
- Many third-language independent producers at OMNI have
been presenting their shows for 20-30 years. This programming is
often targeted at small, underserved communities whose language of
comfort is neither English nor French, helping to break down
systemic barriers by providing critical access to news and
information in a multitude of languages.
Links to campaign spots:
Spot A: https://youtu.be/lJ4fzII_og4
Spot
B: https://youtu.be/PVW6om163lw?si=oMKEHEsZ0Tiw-SPX
SOURCE Canadian Ethnic Media Association