News September 1, 2009

Joint News Release

IQALUIT, Nunavut and YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest Territories (September 1, 2009) – Speakers James Arreak and Paul Delorey today announced that the Nunavut and Northwest Territories legislatures have made a joint submission to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). 

On July 6, 2009, the CRTC issued a Notice of Hearing to “consider a group-based approach to the licensing of conventional television and discretionary services and certain policy issues relating to conventional television. The CRTC has indicated that it “expects stakeholders to participate in this process to assist in addressing the policy issues at hand and, specifically, how broadcasters can adopt concrete and measurable commitments to the production, programming and airing of local content.” 

The submission of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut legislatures recommends that the definition of what constitutes local programming should be clarified to include legislative proceedings in the two territories as a “must-carry” service on satellite and cable. 

A copy of the joint submission is available on the CRTC’s website at the following location:http://support.crtc.gc.ca/applicant/applicant.aspx?pn_ph_no=2009-411&lang=E.  

Speaker Delorey said, “Our legislatures strongly support a decision to grant “must carry” status to their broadcast feeds. This would help to ensure that Northerners from Tuktoyaktuk to Qikiqtarjuaq feel fully engaged with, and connected to, their institutions of governance.” 

Speaker Arreak said, “The provision and dissemination of locally-produced programming by democratically-elected Northern legislatures can serve as an important tool with which to foster the goal of asserting Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.” 

For further information: 

John Quirke, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut 
(867) 975-5000 

Tim Mercer, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories 
(867) 669-2299