Inuit Broadcasting Corporation facts for kids
The Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) (Inuktitut: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓇᕋᑦᓴᓕᕆᔨᑦ) is a TV company in Nunavut, Canada. It makes shows for the Inuit people who live there. Most of its programs are in Inuktitut, the Inuit language. Some shows are also in English. IBC programs focus on Inuit culture and traditions. The company has five TV production centers in Nunavut. All of these centers are run by Inuit people. IBC started in 1981. It was the first TV network in North America to broadcast in an Indigenous language.
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How Inuit TV Began
Television first came to Canada's North through the CBC. This brought TV shows from southern Canada to many northern communities. But these shows had no content made by or for people in the North. It was just southern TV extended to a new area.
It was hard to know how this sudden change would affect the language, culture, and daily life of traditional Arctic communities. Some places, like Igloolik, even voted to say no to television at first. They worried it would harm their way of life forever. Many Indigenous groups across Canada felt the same way. They believed that Indigenous people should have a say in any TV services in their homelands.
The Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC) was a new group formed to represent Inuit interests. They did not want Inuit to just be new viewers for English and French TV from the South. They wanted communities to create their own media. They also wanted to contribute to Canadian broadcasting in a big way. One of ITC's first goals was to ask the government to let Inuit control new communication services. This included radio, video, and newspapers in the Arctic.
In 1978, the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC) started a program. They wanted to test how new satellites could be used. They used the new Anik B satellite. The government was very interested in using satellites to make and share TV shows in the Arctic. The Inuit Tapirisat then started a project called Inukshuk.
The Inukshuk Project connected six communities. These were Iqaluit, Pond Inlet, Igloolik, Baker Lake, Arviat, and Cambridge Bay. Compared to today's TV, this early network was very simple. Video and sound signals were sent by satellite from Iqaluit. The other five communities could receive these signals. People in those communities could send sound back to Iqaluit using phone lines. This meant viewers could see what was happening in Iqaluit. They could also hear audio from the other communities taking part.
As the Inukshuk Project grew, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) listened to northern and Indigenous concerns. They asked Rheal Terrien to lead a committee. This committee would look into bringing TV services to northern and remote areas. After many interviews and talks with communities, the Therrien Committee made a recommendation in 1980. They said satellites should be used to send Canadian TV to the North. They also said that "urgent steps be taken to enable northern native people to use broadcasting to support their languages and cultures."
The Therrien report came out just as the Inukshuk project finished successfully. Many people in the communities watched the shows. Many Inuit learned how to make TV programs. The project proved that a northern TV network was possible to build and manage. Because of this success and the Therrien report's ideas, ITC got to continue the Inukshuk project for three more years. They then started planning a long-term TV solution for the North.
In 1981, the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) was officially created. It started broadcasting at midnight on January 11, 1982. The CRTC gave IBC a license to make and share TV shows in the Inuktitut language.
Growing the Network
In 1981, the new IBC shared its long-term goals in a paper. Both the Department of Communications and IBC wanted ideas for the Therrien Report. IBC made several suggestions. These included:
- A funding program for all Inuit broadcasters. This meant IBC, Taqramiut Nipingat in Nunavik, and the new OKâlaKatiget Society in Nunatsiavut.
- Recognizing Indigenous broadcasters in the Broadcast Act, which is a law about broadcasting.
- A special CRTC policy to support Indigenous broadcasters.
- Creating a special satellite channel just for northern programming.
On March 10, 1983, a new program was announced. It was called the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP). This program gave $33.1 million over four years. It went to thirteen northern Indigenous groups. This money helped them make radio and TV shows.
Unlike some programs that funded only specific projects, the NNBAP helped broadcasters build lasting organizations. It helped them set up management, prepare studios, and plan TV schedules.
The program did have some limits. The funding assumed that one hour of TV cost $5,000 to make. But in 1983, one hour of programming at CBC actually cost $36,000. This was more than five times what the NNBAP provided. Funding was also linked to how much content was produced. IBC had to make five hours of Inuktitut language programs each week. Still, for the first time, IBC and other Indigenous broadcasters had a steady way to get money. They were guaranteed support for at least four years.
To make five hours of high-quality TV each week, IBC set up five production centers. Inuit people staffed all of them. They went through a two-year training program. This included training for camera operators, editors, sound recorders, lighting experts, and content creators. It also trained managers, administrators, and a governing board. Eighteen trainees from five communities started the intense program in 1983. Sixteen of them finished the course two years later.
The new network's first big test was the 1983 Inuit Circumpolar Conference in Iqaluit. IBC provided live coverage of the whole event. They also shared video with journalists from all over the world.
IBC's programs were shown on CBC. This meant the shows needed to be 30 minutes long. They also needed higher technical quality than the Inukshuk project had used. For the first time, regular weekly series were created and produced. Two of IBC's longest-running shows started in these early years. These were Qaqqiq, a regional news program, and Kippingujautiit, which featured entertainment and storytelling.
One of IBC's most famous programs started in 1986. From the very beginning, IBC wanted to reach children. This was important for their goal of keeping the Inuktitut language alive. After two years of research and special training for a team in Iqaluit, the network launched Takuginai. This was an award-winning series for Inuit children. Takuginai used puppets, graphic stories, live action, and animation. It taught language, traditional and modern skills, and Inuit values. Takuginai has also led to books, posters, and even tours for the puppets. In 2000, Leetia Ineak, the show's producer, won a National Aboriginal Achievement award. She was recognized for her years of puppet design on the series.
Sharing Programs
The 1983 Northern Broadcasting Policy said that northern Indigenous people should have "fair access" to TV systems. This was to help them keep and grow their cultures and languages. But the policy did not say what "fair access" meant. In Nunavut, IBC depended on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to show its programs.
CBC generally supported IBC and its goals. But programs made by CBC's own northern service were shown first. IBC programs were a lower priority and were often shown very late at night. They could also be bumped off the schedule if a hockey game ran late. Rosemarie Kuptana, who was president of IBC at the time, once told the CRTC: "God made our land the land of the midnight sun...it took the CBC to make it the Land of Midnight television."
Even with the late-night times, surveys showed that IBC was very popular. Up to 95 percent of Inuit viewers watched its programs. However, the CBC Northern service planned to make more of its own northern programs. This meant IBC programs were being bumped more and more often.
The solution was to create a special satellite channel just for northern TV. This happened in 1988. The Minister of Communications, Flora MacDonald, gave $10 million for this. This money helped create Television Northern Canada (TVNC). TVNC was a network made by northern people, for northern people. After three years of research and building, the new network launched in 1992. It gave IBC and other broadcasters a channel for their shows. It also gave them a chance to try new types of programs, like in the spirit of the Inukshuk project.
TVNC directly led to the creation of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in 1999. The CRTC gave APTN a license. They also said that all TV providers across Canada must include APTN as part of their basic service.
IBC programs are also shown on Uvagut TV.
Programs Today
Takuginai
This is North America's first and longest-running Indigenous language program for children. The show features "Johnny" the lemming and other puppets made locally. It also has young hosts, animation, and studio segments. Takuginai teaches cultural values like respecting elders, sharing, and patience. It also teaches Inuktitut numbers and writing. It has won several awards, including a Special Recognition Award from the Alliance for Children and Television.
Qanurli
This is a magazine-style program for Inuit teenagers. It has a modern look and feel, similar to popular youth shows. It shows the everyday life of Inuit youth.
Ilinniq
This series features short documentaries. They highlight interesting people who live in Nunavut. These include politicians, elders, authors, and actors. Each episode explores the life and achievements of these amazing individuals.
Qanuq Isumavit
This is Nunavut's only TV call-in show. It features live discussions about current topics and events. These topics include climate change, polar bears, language use, and the importance of the igloo.
Niqitsiat
Niqitsiat shows how to prepare and cook traditional Inuit foods. It promotes healthy eating. It also traces where the food comes from, such as the sea, the ice, and the land.
Notable People
Many important media personalities and leaders from Nunavut have worked for the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation or the Inukshuk Project. These include:
- Rosemarie Kuptana, former president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. She was also a former vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference.
- Zacharias Kunuk, director and producer of the award-winning movie Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. He also helped start Igloolik Isuma Productions.
- Paul Apak Angilirq, writer of the award-winning Atanarjuat. He also helped start Igloolik Isuma Productions.
- Jose Kusugak, a broadcaster and former president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
- Lorne Kusugak, a broadcaster and former mayor of Rankin Inlet. He is also a Minister in the Government of Nunavut.
- Martin Kreelak, a filmmaker and director of Journey to Nunavut.
- Okalik Eegeesiak, former president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. She is currently president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
- John Amagoalik, former president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
- Abraham Tagalik, a broadcaster and former chairperson of Television Northern Canada. He was also a former chief operating officer of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
- Monica Ell-Kanayuk, former director of the IBC. She is now a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.
In November 2006, the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada announced a new project. It was called the Nunavut Animation Lab. This lab offers animation training to artists in Nunavut. Films from the Nunavut Animation Lab include Alethea Arnaquq-Baril's 2010 short animated film Lumaajuuq. This film won the Best Aboriginal award at the Golden Sheaf Awards. It was also named Best Canadian Short Drama at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
