The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has launched the second phase of consultations in the co-development of an Indigenous broadcasting policy.

Announced Friday (March 22), the Commission is holding a public consultation on how to support Indigenous broadcasters and creators, and on how Indigenous stories are represented and shared.

The CRTC launched the process to co-develop an Indigenous broadcasting policy in 2019, and reported the results of the first phase of consultations – targeted to Indigenous broadcasters and creatives – in 2021.

One critical piece of feedback in the first phase was that the CRTC needed to make the proceedings more accessible for Indigenous peoples, and has therefore established an Indigenous Relations Team. The team will engage with Indigenous communities and advise CRTC staff on how to support and engage with Indigenous peoples.

Other findings from the first phase of consultations included the need for stable and long-term funding for Indigenous broadcasters and creators, and for more funding at the provincial and territorial level, rather than federal.

The second consultation phase is now open to the public, and includes an array of questions for audiences and broadcast undertakings, as well as how to support Indigenous content and respect relations with Indigenous peoples. The deadline for the consultations is July 22.

The Commission noted that answers to questions should be guided by the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, which was amended in 2023 and includes explicit references to supporting Indigenous languages and cultures.

The second phase of consultations comes a little over a week since the federal government committed permanent funding of $13 million per year to the Indigenous Screen Office.

“Today marks a milestone as we launch our Indigenous Relations Team and move forward on the co-development of a modernized Indigenous broadcasting policy,” said CRTC chairperson and CEO Vicky Eatrides in a statement. “These actions will help ensure that the voices and perspectives of Indigenous peoples are reflected in Canada’s broadcasting system and are supported across the CRTC’s work.”

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