The
Western Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters (WAAB) was established
in order to formalize the working partnership between the four
founding members and to work on behalf of its five current members
towards common goals.
These goals are based on developing new opportunities that would
better serve Aboriginal people through enhanced culturally-based
communications.
The five member groups
combined now have more than 100 years of service to the community
and service in excess of 300 communities throughout western Canada.
Listener estimates indicate an Aboriginal potential audience
of more than 550,000!
It has become clear over
the last two decades that Aboriginal controlled and operated
communications systems have a significant positive impact on
Aboriginal language rehabilitation and retention, Aboriginal
arts and cultural initiatives, currents affairs presentations
from the perspective of Aboriginal Canadians, and the continuing
progress of bridging the cultural divides.
The goal of WAAB is to
continuing the evolution of Aboriginal communications by examining
enhanced distribution of member services through new technology
to a growing and increasingly diverse audience.
Of course, there exists
vast potential for future partnerships with other Aboriginal
Communications groups in areas such as shared programming, as
producing/ co-producing new programs of interest to Canada's
Aboriginal Peoples.
WAAB members are currently broadcasting in urban areas such as
Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Yorkton, Fort McMurray and Edmonton.
Further expansion to additional urban centres in BC and Alberta
is planned.
CFNR
- British Columbia
Classic Rock
CFNR is operated by Northern Native Broadcasting - a non-profit
organization based in Terrace, British Columbia. CFNR-FM has
been in operation since 1986. CFNR is the only commercial content
radio station broadcasting to over 50,000 people living in Aboriginal
Communities in Northwestern and Central British Columbia. CFNR
also broadcasts to the Queen Charlottes Islands, the Nass Valley,
and all the surrounding coastal Native villages surrounding the
Prince Rupert Area.
Expansion into
Prince George is planned for 2013.
CFWE - Alberta
Established in 1987 by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA)
specifically to serve the Aboriginal population located in northern
Alberta. CFWE-FM has evolved its distribution from co-sighting
with CBC television to development of it's own low-powered FM
satellite re-broadcasting systems to larger and more powerful
regional systems that cover hundreds of kilometers and reach
thousands of people. CFWE-FM is now distributed to 75 Alberta
communities with a listening audience of 100,000 throughout Alberta.
Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) - Saskatchewan
Founded in 1983,
MBC Network Radio currently airs 24 hours of programming daily,
7 days a week, from studios located in La Ronge Saskatchewan.
It reaches an ever expanding listening audience of over 100,000
people in dozens of communities and offers programming featuring
interviews, information, education, [and music] in the Cree,
Dene and English languages. MBC maintains a grass roots connection
in it's programming via phone-in shows and on-location broadcasts.
Native
Communications Inc. (NCI) - Manitoba
NCI began
broadcasting in Northern Manitoba since September of 1971, providing
Aboriginal language and cultural programming. It has evolved
into a province wide radio network. Throughout Manitoba NCI is
a very real part of the Aboriginal community - the same as trapping,
fishing, and bannock! The NCI-FM radio network currently reaches
95% of Manitoba: from Churchill to Winnipeg - "you are in
NCI country!" We are the first and only Aboriginal radio
network of our kind in Manitoba. NCI-FM broadcasts 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, on 57 FM radio transmitters located throughout
the province, reaching over 80 communities and three of Manitoba's
largest cities. Two of NCI's major transmitters have a total
power of 200,000 watts.
NCI reaches all
communities in Manitoba.
Northern
Native Broadcasting (NNBY)- Yukon
Northern Native
Broadcasting, Yukon (NNBY) produces award winning radio and television
programming. CHON-FM, the radio component broadcasts 24 hours
per day, seven days a week. Tune to 98.1 in Whitehorse and 90.5
throughout the rest of the Yukon for news, weather, sports and
music. Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon is owned by the fourteen
First Nations of the Yukon, and operates under the auspices of
an independent Board of Directors. NNBY reaches 20 communities
in the Yukon as well as communities in northern
BC and the Northwest Territory.
