Indigenous media organizations vie for radio licences in Ottawa

Indigenous media organizations vying for radio licences in five Canadian citiesare in the capital region this week to make their pitches, and two of them hope to serve Ottawa.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding public hearings in Gatineauto consider applications for radio licencesinOttawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

In June 2015, the federal broadcast regulatorrevokedradio station licences held by Aboriginal Voices Radio (AVR) due to"severe" and "repeated" non-compliance issues, resultinginfive frequencies becoming available in those cities.

A CRTCpanelis now considering proposals from:

• Wawatay Native Communications Society (Ottawa and Toronto).
• First Peoples Radio Inc. (Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver).
• Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton).
• VMS Media Group Ltd. (Calgary and Edmonton).
• Northern Native Broadcasting (Vancouver).

The organization runs a radio networkserving 50 First Nations, a trilingual newspaper, and television production studios serving Indigenous communities in northern Ontario.

Wawatay's president said the communications organization now wants to expand into urban markets because it's where many Indigenous people livetoday.

"Our people are here. You see them every day on thestreets, in workplaces, in professions, sports, industry. We're here,"saidMikeMetatawabin, president of WawatayNativeCommunications Society.

"It's the right step for us."

Funding woes includinga deficit in excess of $400,000 almost forced Wawatay News to close in 2014, but somerestructuring helped save the organization.

"Those were trying times, but we're still here," saidMetatawabin. "Under new management, we've overcome that [and] we're moving forward. Status quo is not an option, in terms of how our organization has operated in the last 10 to 20 years. We have to tap into new opportunities."

Metatawabinbelieves there is a growing need for the type of radio programming his organization produces in larger urban centres.

"There's a disconnect right now. People feel separated and distant from their communities, from their loved ones. This radio opportunity would provide a breath of fresh air and a linkage," he said.

TheCRTC'spublichearings take place inGatineau from March 27-29.