APTN is introducing a 30-minute midday edition of APTN National News as part of a refreshed spring lineup.
The network says the midday cast, airing at noon CT beginning May 6, will give viewers a quick overview of key stories impacting First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.
“Bringing back our daytime newscast is something we’ve been planning for several months,” Cheryl McKenzie, Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, told Broadcast Dialogue. “Our aim is always about how we can better serve our audiences. Nearly doubling our daily news output so our communities can be more up to date on what Indigenous Peoples are accomplishing, what decisions they are deliberating and making as well as keeping everyone informed about the politics affecting them is something we strive for every day.”
McKenzie said a recent decision by CTV News to stop carrying noon news in most local markets had “no bearing” on the programming decision.
“It’s the right thing to do in our world where there are fewer and fewer news media outlets investing in good journalism,” she added.
The spring schedule also includes several new Indigenous-language series, alongside the network’s offerings in English and French.
Docuseries On the Front Line, which originally aired in French as Sur le terrain, will premiere in Innu on the APTN lumi streaming service on April 29 and in English the following day. The series about front line health and social service workers makes its television premiere May 6 (Innu) and May 7 (English).
Pow Wow Chow, which follows two Indigenous chefs and their crews as they navigate the highs and lows of being travelling food vendors, premieres in Ojibwe and English on APTN lumi on April 30, with its TV premiere May 7.
Other new docuseries include Mi’kma’ki, a collection of short films about the Indigenous experience in communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, offered in Mi’kmaq and English, in addition to Lands Enchanted presented in Cree, Ernest Webb’s expedition across Quebec as he uncovers age-old legends and those who’ve witnessed extraordinary phenomena.
New kids and youth series joining the programming lineup include animated series Chums, offered in Ojibwe, Cree and English, and La brigade, a French-language series inspired by Franco-Métis heritage, centered around a group of students at the Louis-Riel school defying authority and questioning the rules.
Returning series include Season 7 of Moosemeat & Marmalade, exploring traditional recipes and hunting practices in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Sweden, with past seasons available for streaming on APTN lumi starting this summer in English, Cree and French. Bears’ Lair also returns for a second season in June, featuring 18 new Indigenous entrepreneurs in a friendly $100,000 competition.
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