Budget slash targets broadcasters

Page 10

Native television broadcasters are bracing themselves for a bleak, mean season

as a result of "substantial" budget cuts from the federal government.

The anticipated 10-per-cent in federal funding grants will chop more than $1 million from the $11 million Northern Native Broadcast Access Program budget this year.

"It's hard to believe there's any commitment on behalf of the government for Native broadcasters," Inuit Broadcasting Corporation executive director Debbie Brisebois said.

"I don't know how much farther we can be pushed."

The funding cuts were announced by Finance Minister Don Mazankowski in his Dec. 2 "economic statement," a mini-budget designed to stimulate economic growth. Details on the cuts to the broadcast program were released in the House of Commons

Feb. 26.

Secretary of State Monique Landry said she regrets cutting funding to the program but emphasized that her role as minister was to work to curtail government spending.

"As a government member, I'm in favor of all cuts," she said. "They should not

be isolated to (this) program. All departments will suffer. I don't have any more money to throw from one pocket to the other."

NNBAP was established in 1983 to provide funds for Native television and radio broadcasters to produce information, education and entertainment programming for northern native communities. Programs are produced in several Native languages.

Brisebois said she does not know how she will continue to produce programming

if the cuts go through. The 10-per-cent reduction in funding from Ottawa translates into a $99,000 cut in her programming budget.

"I can't say how we'll deal with it. We're operating at bare minimum already. If we're faced with an increase in costs, I'm at a loss."

Inuit Broadcasting Corporation has received $1.757 million from the department of the Secretary of State to operate in the 1992/93 fiscal year, she said. Other funds were garnered form the government of the Northwest Territories, Telefilm Canada and other sources in the federal government.

The network, which has production facilities in six communities across the north, functioned on $3 million for the year, an amount that Brisebois said was the "bare minimum" required to continue operating.

Staff cuts are out of the question, she said, as many IBC employees are already working 65 hours a week.

These recent cutbacks follow a 16-per-cent cut made to Native broadcasters

and publishers in 1990. The $6.45 million loss forced about 10 Native newspapers out

of business. There have been no increases in funding since 1986.

Funding to Televisions Northern Canada, the networks designed to distribute Native-oriented programming, will not be affected by the cuts, said Brisebois, much to

the consternation of broadcasters.

Minister of Communications Perrin Beatty appears to be more dedicated to northern broadcasters as he managed to get Television Northern Canada exempt from

the cuts, she said.

"TVNC doesn't exist except for us," said Sean St. George, executive director

of Taqramuit Nipingat Incorporated, a television and radio network that produces programming for communities in northern Quebec.

"If we can't do the programming, what TVNC will have to do is go out and spend money acquiring other stuff to broadcast, English programming that's not in our language."

NNBAP was set up to keep Native languages alive, he said. The harder it is

for the Native networks to produce their own programming, the more likely it is that non-Native educators and governments will move in to take their place.

"There should be a privileged place (on TVNC) for Native broadcasters and not educators," he said. "They're going to push us out."

The four other "core" Native broadcasters, Wawatay Native Communications, the Inuvialuit Communications Society of the Western Northwest Territories and Northern Native Broadcasting also face funding cuts.

Several Native network programmers have tried to approach the Secretary of

State about seuring funds for their productions, Brisebois said. But no one has had much success.