Minority language community radio stations and newspapers will benefit from $12.5 million in funding announced by the federal government Monday.
Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Min. Randy Boissonnault announced the investment as part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–28.
Over the next four years, $7.6 million will be allocated to 89 new projects under the Consortium of Official Language Minority Community Media, representing 105 minority newspapers and radio stations and made up of Réseau.Presse, the Quebec Community Newspapers Association (QCNA), the Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC du Canada) and the English-Language Arts Network (ELAN).
The federal announcement said the investment would “help identify and implement the measures needed to strategically strengthen community media and increase their capacity to serve Canada’s official language minority populations.”
Another $5 million will be used to train the next generation of community media professionals and address labour shortages in the sector, including 125 paid internships at 98 community media organizations across Canada. Since its inception in 2018–19, more than half of the interns in the Consortium’s media internship program have gone on to become permanent staff, according to information provided by Canadian Heritage.
“Community media are at the heart of minority communities across Canada. They tell local stories, help maintain and develop our local and national identities, and ensure that Canadians from coast to coast to coast have access to quality information,” said Boissonnault, in the announcement.
The federal Action Plan – the fifth five-year official languages plan in 20 years – provides for a total investment of $4.1 billion to support seven departments and 33 new or enhanced measures aimed at protecting and promoting the country’s official languages.
