Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

Origins and establishment

The origins of APTN trace back to federal policy and advocacy in the early 1980s, following the 1980 Therrien Committee Report which concluded northern Indigenous peoples had increasing interest in developing their own media services and that the government had a responsibility to ensure support in broadcasting of Indigenous cultures and languages. In 1983, the Canadian government issued the Northern Broadcasting Policy on March 10, which included support for the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program to fund radio and television production in First Peoples' languages to reflect their cultural perspectives. In January 1987, a consortium of Canadian Aboriginal and Northern broadcasters met in Yellowknife to form a non-profit consortium to establish a Pan-Northern television distribution service to address problems in planned satellite distribution. The Canadian government provided $10 million in funding in 1988, leading to the approval of the service, initially called Television Northern Canada (TVNC), by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1991. TVNC launched officially on January 21, 1992, broadcasting over-the-air signals to Canada's northern territories and far northern regions of the provinces through its flagship station CHTY-TV in Yellowknife and a semi-satellite CHWT-TV in Whitehorse, along with numerous low-powered rebroadcasters. For its first seven years, TVNC served as a crucial regional service, delivering programming that reflected northern Indigenous cultures and perspectives directly to their communities via this extensive network of terrestrial transmitters.

National launch and evolution

After years of regional broadcasting, TVNC began lobbying the CRTC to amend their licence to allow for a national broadcast, promoting the uniqueness and significance of a national Aboriginal service. The CRTC granted TVNC a licence for a national broadcast network on February 22, 1999, and on September 1, 1999, the network rebranded as the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and launched nationally. This licensing gave APTN the same mandatory carriage status on all Canadian cable and satellite providers as CBC Television, Radio-Canada and TVA, making it the first national public television network for Indigenous peoples in the world. The network initially operated multiple feeds, including separate signals for Eastern Canada (Ontario and east), Western Canada (Manitoba and west), and Northern Canada, alongside a terrestrial feed for remote northern communities. The Western Canada feed began service on October 2, 2006, with the Eastern feed having operated as the national feed until that point. In March 2008, APTN launched a high-definition simulcast feed, APTN HD, which initially was a straight simulcast of the Eastern feed to comply with CRTC simulcast rules. The CRTC later amended the licence in May 2017 so that APTN HD's programming would no longer necessarily have to mirror the scheduling of the standard-definition feeds, as long as 95 percent of its content aired at some point on one of APTN's SD feeds, giving the network flexibility to reach a broader audience. The network's distribution historically included numerous low-powered over-the-air rebroadcasters across the North, but it shut down 39 of these repeaters in the Northwest Territories and Yukon on August 31, 2011. APTN's 2013 CRTC licence renewal did not include any over-the-air transmitters, marking the end of its terrestrial broadcast era.

Programming and content

APTN's programming mandate is to highlight Indigenous peoples in Canada across a wide variety of genres, including arts and cultural programs, factual programming such as documentaries and docuseries, drama and comedy series, and news and current affairs programming. The network's schedule includes original drama series such as Blackstone, Little Bird, Bones of Crows and North of 60, alongside comedy series like Acting Good, Cashing In, Fugget About It and Caution: May Contain Nuts. Documentary and factual programming is a major component, with series including Wild Archaeology, Merchants of the Wild, APTN Investigates, Red Earth Uncovered and the documentary film Inconvenient Indian. News and current affairs are served by the flagship APTN National News and the interview program APTN Contact, while cultural and lifestyle programs range from Cooking With the Wolfman and Moosemeat & Marmalade to Skindigenous, which explores tattoo artistry, and programs like The Sharing Circle. The network has also broadcast mainstream feature films and, in 2002, experimented with an interactive Bingo and a Movie sweepstakes during commercial breaks. All Indigenous-language programming on APTN is presented with English or French subtitles to ensure broader accessibility, a practice that continues on the APTN Languages channel.

APTN airs children's programming, primarily as part of the APTN Kids block and branding. This block ranges from ages 3 to 11. It includes original programming such as Anaana's Tent, Wapos Bay, and Coyote's Crazy Smart Science Show. The programming is designed to educate and entertain from an Indigenous perspective.

• Anaana's Tent and Takuginai are Inuktitut-language programs for young children.
• Wapos Bay is a stop-motion animated series following a Cree family in northern Saskatchewan.
• Coyote's Crazy Smart Science Show blends Indigenous knowledge with scientific exploration.
• Louis Says teaches Cree words and phrases through storytelling.
• Raven Tales is a CGI animated series based on stories from Pacific Northwest Indigenous cultures.
• Planet Echo is an environmental adventure series.
• The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon was broadcast in both English and French dubs.
• Finding Our Talk was the world's first series in the Mohawk language, with three seasons airing in 2001, 2002 and 2009.

On March 24, 2019, APTN simulcast a Sportsnet-produced NHL game between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes with commentary in Plains Cree. This was part of the Rogers Hometown Hockey package, and the on-location broadcast was from Enoch Cree Nation outside Edmonton. APTN and Rogers announced a deal for six Hometown Hockey games per season in Plains Cree over three years. After a hiatus, the broadcasts returned during the 2021-22 NHL season from Hockey Night in Canada feeds. APTN began to add a package of Inuktitut broadcasts in 2025.

Transition to a two-channel service

A major structural change occurred in 2024 following a CRTC licence renewal that APTN had applied for in June 2023. The network proposed splitting its linear services into two distinct national high-definition feeds, with one predominantly carrying English- and French-language programming, and the other predominantly airing programming in Indigenous languages. APTN stated this new structure would allow it to significantly increase its output of Indigenous-language programming to as many as 157.5 hours per week and provide more airtime to language groups that were underrepresented under its existing schedule. The CRTC approved the renewal and distribution changes in May 2024, and the new structure took effect on September 1, 2024, the 25th anniversary of APTN's national launch. Under this model, the channel branded as APTN carries English and French-language programming, with a CRTC requirement to broadcast a minimum of 20 hours of French programming per week. The new channel, APTN Languages, is dedicated to broadcasting at least 100 hours per week of programming in a minimum of 15 different Indigenous languages, along with additional airings of its English and French-language news and public affairs programming. To support this expanded service and the increased programming hours, the CRTC also approved an increase in APTN's wholesale carriage fee from $0.35 to $0.38 per subscriber.

Digital expansion and streaming services

APTN has actively expanded its digital and streaming presence to reach audiences beyond traditional television and to support language preservation in the digital age. In 2019, the network launched APTN Lumi, a streaming service distributing APTN programming on the internet and streaming television devices as a direct-to-consumer offering. This service was rebranded as APTN+ in November 2025, reflecting an evolution in its digital strategy. In October 2025, APTN launched the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel APTN Beyond, which carries APTN library programming with a focus on paranormal and spiritual themes. A landmark digital initiative came in 2026 with the launch of a massive free Indigenous-language video library on YouTube in partnership with the platform, announced to coincide with National Indigenous Languages Day on March 31. This library features over 1,200 hours of content across nearly 2,500 episodes in 20 Indigenous languages, serving as a vital resource for language learners, educators, and communities across Canada. The collection includes dramas like Mohawk Girls and Taken (in Anishinaabemowin), documentaries like Michif Country and Water Worlds (in Cree), and youth programming like Warrior Up!, with new episodes added regularly.

Corporate structure, subsidiaries and operations

APTN has operated as a non-profit media organization since its inception with a mandate to reflect, amplify and connect First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across Canada and beyond. In 2019, several subsidiary media companies that had been established under the APTN umbrella over the preceding 12 years were spun off into a new independent company called Dadan Sivunivut, described as an arms-length entity with the responsibility to manage and expand that group of companies. One significant subsidiary was First Peoples Radio Inc. (FPR), which was granted CRTC licences in June 2017 to operate urban Indigenous radio stations in Toronto and Ottawa on frequencies 106.5 FM and 95.7 FM respectively, frequencies previously allocated to Aboriginal Voices Radio which had its licences revoked in 2015. These stations, CFPT-FM and CFPO-FM, launched on October 24, 2018, at noon under the brand Elmnt FM. Ownership of First Peoples Radio was transferred to Dadan Sivunivut in 2019, and both stations ceased operations on September 1, 2025. APTN also previously expanded into the United States through the All Nations Network, which has been under the Dadan Sivunivut umbrella since 2019. APTN had earlier aired US-produced works like the documentary Skydancer about Akwesasne ironworkers, which also aired on PBS in 2012. In November 2016, CEO Jean La Rose told the Winnipeg Free Press that APTN was negotiating carriage for a U.S. service, noting a high level of interest among Native Americans for programming relevant to their communities.

APTN's operations are funded through a combination of its mandatory subscriber fee, advertising revenue, and other sources, with the network maintaining a careful advertising policy. The network's annual budget was $47 million in 2023, funding its production, acquisition, and distribution activities across its two channels and digital platforms. Its advertising policy states a commitment to avoiding stereotypes and clichés when selecting advertisers. The network is headquartered at 399 Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. The network's distribution previously faced an issue where many cable companies outside the Arctic placed it above channel 60 on their systems, rendering it inaccessible to older cable-ready television sets that do not go above channel 60. The CRTC considered requiring cable companies to move APTN to a lower channel but decided in 2005 that it would not do so, leaving the placement to provider discretion.

Accessibility, mandate and public role

APTN publishes multi-year accessibility plans in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act and its regulations, with the overarching goal of achieving a barrier-free Canada by January 1, 2040. Its Accessibility Plan for 2026 to 2029 is its second three-year plan and builds on progress from the 2023 to 2026 plan, which included strengthening hiring and accommodation practices, providing accessibility training, advancing digital platform accessibility, and deepening engagement with individuals living with disabilities. The new plan commits to further identifying, removing, and preventing barriers for employees, audiences, and the communities it serves, and is guided by the principle of Nothing Without Us, ensuring persons with disabilities must be involved in the decisions and plans that affect them. APTN recognizes the importance of intersectionality in understanding accessibility, noting that the experiences of Indigenous Peoples living with disabilities are shaped by multiple and overlapping identities. As stated in its corporate materials, APTN's core mandate is to reflect, amplify and connect First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples through its programming, thereby enriching public understanding and supporting cultural continuity and language revitalization across Canada. The network also covers significant national events and issues, such as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and produces investigative journalism like the APTN Investigates series.

Notable programming catalogue

APTN primarily airs programming highlighting Indigenous peoples in Canada, including arts, cultural programs, documentaries, drama, comedy, and news. The network has aired many programs since its launch in 1999. Notable programs include drama series like Blackstone and Little Bird, comedies like Acting Good, and documentaries like Wild Archaeology. It also broadcasts children's programming through the APTN Kids block.

Other notable programs include the comedy series Cashing In and Fugget About It, the documentary series Merchants of the Wild and Red Earth Uncovered, and the cultural programs Cooking With the Wolfman and Skindigenous. APTN also broadcasts sports programming, including NHL games with commentary in Plains Cree and Inuktitut. In March 2019, it first simulcast a Montreal Canadiens game with Plains Cree commentary as part of the Rogers Hometown Hockey package. A multi-year agreement for six such games per season was announced in December 2019, and Inuktitut broadcasts were added starting in 2025.

Questions about Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

What is APTN and when did it start?

APTN is the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, a national public television network in Canada dedicated to Indigenous programming. It launched nationally on September 1, 1999, after being licensed by the CRTC on February 22 of that year. Its predecessor, Television Northern Canada (TVNC), began broadcasting to northern territories on January 21, 1992. APTN was the first national public television network for Indigenous peoples in the world and holds mandatory carriage on all Canadian television providers.

What languages does APTN broadcast in?

Since September 2024, APTN operates two distinct channels. The main APTN channel broadcasts programming in English and French, with a CRTC requirement for a minimum of 20 hours of French programming per week. The separate APTN Languages channel is dedicated to broadcasting at least 100 hours per week of programming in a minimum of 15 different Indigenous languages, such as Cree, Inuktitut, Anishinaabemowin, Dene, and Michif. All Indigenous-language programming on both channels is presented with English or French subtitles.

Can I watch APTN online?

Yes, APTN offers several digital options for online viewing. Its primary subscription streaming service is APTN+, which was rebranded from APTN Lumi in November 2025. The network also launched a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel called APTN Beyond in October 2025, featuring curated library programming with paranormal and spiritual themes. In 2026, APTN and YouTube launched a massive free digital library with over 1,200 hours of Indigenous-language programming available on demand through the @APTNtv YouTube channel.

What kind of shows are on APTN?

APTN airs programming highlighting Indigenous peoples in Canada, including arts and cultural programs, documentaries, drama and comedy series, and news. Programs include drama series like Blackstone and Little Bird, comedies like Acting Good and Cashing In, and documentaries like Wild Archaeology. It broadcasts children's programming through the APTN Kids block, with shows like Wapos Bay. APTN has also broadcast NHL games with commentary in Plains Cree and Inuktitut.

How is APTN funded?

APTN is funded through a mandatory wholesale carriage fee paid by all Canadian television service providers. This fee was increased from $0.35 to $0.38 per subscriber in September 2024. The network also generates revenue from advertising, with a policy to avoid stereotypes. APTN received a $10 million government grant in 1988 to establish its predecessor, TVNC. Its annual budget was $47 million in 2023.

What is APTN's role in Indigenous language preservation?

APTN plays a critical role in Indigenous language preservation and revitalization through dedicated broadcasting and digital archiving. Its APTN Languages channel dedicates over 100 hours weekly to programming in at least 15 Indigenous languages. In 2026, it launched a free digital library on YouTube with over 1,200 hours of content in 20 languages, serving as a permanent resource for learners, educators, and communities. This initiative supports language reclamation across generations by providing accessible, on-demand video content.

Sources and further reading

• Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (Wikipedia)
• APTN News: Home (aptnnews.ca)
• APTN, APTN (aptntv.ca)
• APTN launches free Indigenous language library for ... (mbcradio.com)
• Accessibility Plan 2026 to 2029 - APTN (aptn.org)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-27.