Canada’s first Inuit language television station will soon be available on TVs from coast to coast to coast.
Uvagut TV, (meaning "our TV") was officially approved for mandatory distribution on Oct. 23 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), under the Broadcasting Act.
This means that in the coming weeks and months, there will be more news about the work to bring Inuit programming to audiences across Canada. Up to 10 million basic cable subscribers across the country will now have access to an 24/7 Inuktitut-language station.
"This could not have happened without your support," reads the announcement from Isuma Distribution International, the parent company of Uvagut TV. "We’re so grateful to all of you who took the time to write letters, sign petitions, make phone calls and share our work with your communities, friends and families. Thank you for your help."
Uvagut TV launched in Iglulik in 2021, broadcasting to 600,000 subscribers on Shaw, Arctic Co-op and local satellite channels. It is owned and operated by Nunavut Independent Television (NITV), an Inuit owned non-profit founded in 1991.
"Sharing award-winning, Inuit-created feature films, documentaries, current affairs, children’s programming, and live broadcasts every week, Uvagut TV provides a vital service for Inuit audiences in the North and the south," the
“For me, Uvagut TV is really a dream come true,” said NITV executive director Lucy Tulugarjuk. “We’re so grateful for the support of so many organizations and individuals during this process, including the CRTC commissioners for their decision. We look forward to working with our Inuit communities to create this station, sharing creative work from Inuit that can be enjoyed by Canadians nationwide.”