INTERVIEW: Ray Fox of ARTS

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On February 20, the Aboriginal Radio and Television Society (ARTS) celebrated one year of its existence, broadcasting a variety of news and music to its predominantly Native listeners through CBC airwaves, under the organization's program name, "The Native Perspective."

It was on February 3, 1986, that the Native Perspective was first heard over the airwaves in northern Alberta, and aired at 8 a.m. on CBC-TV's audio channel, Monday

to Friday.

Windspeaker interviewed the director of ARTS, a Native of Saskatchewan, Ray Fox, who become involved with the Native Perspective, now located at Lac La Biche.

WINDSPEAKER: When did you first become involved with ARTS?

FOX: I actually learned about the radio communication end of it through April Boyd

who was with ARTS in Alberta at the time. April filled me in on what was taking place regarding ARTS and then she introduced me to people here in Edmonton. So I had the chance to see what was happening here in Alberta.

After that I put my name in and sent a record I produced and copies of television shows that I had also produced. They were for April's eyes only (Ray laughs) but when she left the organization I talked with Bert Crowfoot and others - so they had my resume already, and asked me if I wanted the job.

WINDSPEAKER: You started on October 26, 1985, and just recently ARTS has celebrated their own year of broadcasting. Do you feel the celebration was worth it?

FOX: I feel good about it and it keeps you hopping here. I'm sort of like you if I have nothing to do then I become bored easily. You know after the grand opening I had time to think and it was tremendous that in one year we have come from one-half hour of broad-casting to three hours a day - in the space of one year. It is a real accomplishment.

ARTS: Yes. Our very next step is to start a community radio service here in Lac La Biche, because we are already here so it benefits us to begin one here.

We hope to have a community radio by May and our broadcast time would be

18 hours a day, seven days a week.

We are also looking at places who have shown an interest such as Wabasca, Assumption and Slave Lake. Even Hobbema showed an interest. They receive our program there although it is not in our jurisdiction. We are supposed to concentrate north of the Hamlin line, but still, they have shown interest.

WINDSPEAKER: I understand you have training capital available? Are you training people in radio?

FOX: To me the training part is a real accomplishment. One of my biggest headaches

is finding people who are trained in radio broadcasting. When we talk Native communications we must think Native people and I cannot find trained Native people to work here, so what I have to do is work with non-Native people to strengthen the people we have here.

I find when we use producing dollars and spend it on training people then our program is not at the level that it should be at.

So what I did was introduce a proposal to Canada Employment and said we need Native people for the Native Perspective. They offered us, now, about $135,000 for training and we just recently hired a project manager (Bill Samoil) who will train people in radio.

The training will take place here at Lac La Biche and it is a 51-week course. Trainees will basically concentrate on radio and journalism.

I tried to develop a course like this for five years and basically it is a job strategy course. Of course, I was rejected many times until now, they finally bought it. It's actually little things like that that make it work.

WINDSPEAKER: What is ARTS or the Native Perspective's ultimate goal?

FOX: I think it would be perfect if sometime in the future we were something like the CKUA system - full-time and full distribution. That's the pie in the sky and it is a goal.

I believe in reality that CKUA which is funded by government is just like a Native communications program, except they are funded provincially and we are funded federally. It is an arument, but in order to accomplish something like full-time broadcasting from our own Native station, it would require a heavy duty concentration of Native people and organizations behind such a proposal. We would need Native people saying they would support something like that. Otherwise, I am not sure if we could do it ourselves.

WINDSPEAKER: What have you personally been involved with in communications before your arrival here?

FOX: My fondest memories about the communication business is when I spent five years in Medicine Hat - three years was doing radio and two were spent in the television field.

In 1981, I received the best series of the year award in southern Alberta. I had a show we called "For The Good Times" and we did things like going to a house party one time with cameras. We followed people who were a little tipsy and followed them as the drunker they got.

We'd do crazy things. We even went into bars and set up the cameras to video tape the bands playing.

Basically I worked for CBC in Regina and at La Ronge, Saskatchewan, before coming here.

WINDSPEAKER: You are the president of NATCOM. What is NATCOM and what does it do?

FOX: NATCOM stands for the National Aboriginal Communications Society. There are 21 Native communication groups in Canada, but at one time, government did not have any one group to deal with on a national level. Basically, each group dealt with government individually. So NATCOM was formed and now we have one office in Ottawa who deals for us which I might add, is an advantage. Now we have a national organization which is one voice in Ottawa working for many.

WINDSPEAKER: Things seem to be working out for ARTS. How do your listeners regard the Native Perspective?

FOX: Fantastic! It is just great. We have a couple of people who may be negative to some of the things that happen on the program but I would say that 99.9% of the people have been very receptive - they say nice things. We are doing our job and informing people of wat is happening in their world. And they in turn are learning. This is not to

say we are above them, but moreso we have a great understanding.

WINDSPEAKER: Ray, you really seem up on what you are doing and accomplishing?

FOX: It's great! I'm ready for another 10 years and after that I might slow down.