MONTREAL, June 18, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The English Language Arts Network (ELAN), with support from the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), is building an alliance to intervene at the impending CRTC public hearings concerning Vidéotron's Montreal licence renewal . The licence affects the 600,000 English-speaking Quebecers living in the Greater Montreal region.
Last night ELAN held a public meeting to begin creating an alliance of community groups, educators, artists and TV producers to request that CRTC make an English-language community TV channel a requirement for Vidéotron's licence renewal.
"The CRTC, which will review Videotron's licence conditions this summer, will scrutinize the cable company's responsibility toward its English-speaking audience," said ELAN President Peter MacGibbon. Quebec's English-speaking community was absent the last time Vidéotron's licence was renewed seven years ago and the result has been a complete absence of community TV production in English, he said.
"We have no shortage of television content available to us, but we rarely see our own stories on TV," added MacGibbon. "When it comes to television, members of Quebec's English-speaking community are like vampires. When we stare at the screen, we do not see ourselves reflected."
This past weekend QCGN members from across the province approved a resolution supporting the establishment of an English-language community TV channel in the Montreal-area which is complementary to Vidéotron's French-language community TV channel MATv, noted QCGN President Dan Lamoureux.
To read the full version of this press release, go to www.qcgn.ca/news
The English Language Arts Network (www.quebec-elan.org) represents the 8,000 artists living and working in Quebec. The Quebec Community Groups Network (www.qcgn.ca) is a not-for-profit organization bringing together 41 English-language community organizations across Quebec, including ELAN. Its mission is to identify, explore and address strategic issues affecting the development and vitality of English-speaking Quebec and to encourage dialogue and collaboration among its member organizations, individuals, community groups, institutions and leaders.
SOURCE: Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN)
Guy Rodgers, ELAN Executive Director, [email protected]
Telephone: 514-935-3312, cellular: 514-574-6344
Rita Legault, QCGN Director of Communications, [email protected]
Telephone: 514-868-9044, ext. 223, cellular: 514-912-6555
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