Winnipeg, MB - Today, in a letter to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Mayor Sam Katz endorsed the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in its recent application for license renewal.
Mayor Katz recommended the CRTC renew the license of the locally-based network, which provides programming by, for and about Aboriginal people, and has the distinction of being the first national Aboriginal television network in the world.
“APTN has had a strong presence in downtown Winnipeg for over a decade, and has made an important contribution to the Aboriginal community,” said Mayor Katz. “I have urged the CRTC to renew APTN’s license, so that it can continue to support Aboriginal television production and provide top-quality, relevant content to viewers nationwide.”
APTN has been operating from Portage Avenue headquarters since 1999, paying approximately $120,000 in property tax to the City of Winnipeg annually. The network employs more than 100 people in downtown Winnipeg and has been recognized as one of Manitoba’s top 25 employers for the last five years.