Title
Minority studied
Description
In 1991, the CRTC licences Television Northern Canada (TVNC) and, within a year, the network launches in Northern Canada. In the 1990s TVNC grows significantly and is succesful which leads the Board of Directors to believe that there is a need for a national Indigenous television network. In Februart 1998, the CRTC releases Public Notice 1998-8 that states that TVNC is “an unique and significant undertaking.” Indeed, a national Indigenous channel should be “widely available throughout Canada in order to serve the diverse needs of the various Indigenous communities, as well as other Canadians.”
With the support of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, and public recognition of the importance of a national Indigenous channel (supported by hundreds of official letters of support), TVNC submits an application to the CRTC for a broadcasting licence for APTN. On February 22, 1999, the CRTC announced that they had approved the national broadcasting licence. Since August 1999, APTN is available to more than 9 million homes throughout Canada via cable television, direct-to-home and wireless service viewers.
(Source: "Our Story: APTN history", https://corporate.aptn.ca/about/our-story/)