Now see more news, current affairs on APT

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The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) is launching a half-hour First News show April 16 at 7 p.m.

The newscast with anchor Carol Adams will be broadcast weekly until Labour Day, according to senior news producer, Bruce Spence. After Labour Day it will become a daily program.

"We have correspondents, freelancers and networks across country who will be contributing news items," Spence said on March 16. On that date staff were already producing dry runs of news casts to test their technology and polish their journalistic presentation skills.

"The focus of our news items are heavily on grass roots people. We're not particularly interested in what chiefs or authority figures have to say, but of course we will have to approach them as well. But the focus of our coverage will be the people telling their stories themselves."

In addition, APTN has worked out an arrangement to provide CTV News with stories and footage of "some of the stuff they cannot possibly get," Spence said. This could serve to inform the general public about Native events and issues they might otherwise miss.

On March 19, APTN held an open house at its headquarters in Winnipeg, to showcase their entire operation. Since news and current affairs is a major part of what they do, it was also an occasion to introduce both the fledgling news show and a half-hour current affairs show that at press time was scheduled to be aired for the first time at the end of March.

It was an opportunity for the public to learn about the world of Aboriginal producers, directors, media personalities and writers within the organization, to view the production facilities and meet the staff.

To track what's being broadcast and when, as well as to contact the network with your story ideas, visit the APTN web site at www.APTN.ca and see the schedule in this paper.