Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation
Encyclopedia
Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation, or MBC Radio, is a radio network
in Canada
, serving First Nations
and Métis
communities in the province of Saskatchewan
.
The network's flagship station is CJLR in La Ronge
. The MBC network broadcasts to more than 70 communities in Saskatchewan, including the major urban
centres, and broadcasts a streaming audio feed over the Internet
. The station carries hockey games involving the La Ronge Ice Wolves
, was hosted by its first producer Helga Reydon. The program, a 15-minute weekly series, addressed issues and matters of interest for fishermen and trappers in the north. However, those broadcasts were plagued by poor reception and unequal signal distribution as they were broadcast on an AM radio station in the southern part of the province and had to "skip" into the north. The program also did not air content that was culturally specific to aboriginals.
The provincial government realized its shortcomings in serving the northern citizens of Saskatchewan, and as a result in 1973 a new Northern News program started to be produced out of La Ronge by the Department of Northern Saskatchewan (DNS). This program was hosted by producer
/announcer
Barrie Ward, with aboriginal language content added by Cree
and Michif linguists
Tom Roberts and Robert Merasty. The new radio program added more northern content and significantly included major aboriginal language content. The program however ended with the provincial government's disbanding of the DNS in 1982.
In the late 1970s, CBC Radio
also began broadcasting a northern program, Keewatin Radio. The program contained some relevant northern content and was aided by better reception due to the installation of the low power FM relay transmitters in the north. The stories, though pertinent to the northern populace, were largely in English
, and originated in Regina
.
In 1983, the federal government
introduced the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP), funded and supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage
. The NNBAP program's aim was to enhance, protect and preserve aboriginal languages while at the same time allowing indigenous peoples to control their own communications services.
In March 1984 a full time coordinating committee was formed and Merasty was hired to gather information. A survey was conducted of the residents of northern Saskatchewan, the results of which gave the organizers a better idea of what aboriginal people wanted to hear on radio. Following the survey, MBC's first board of directors was elected in 1984, with Merasty as the first CEO. The corporation implemented a basic radio skills training program in 1984 that was delivered through the local community college
. The first MBC broadcast took place in February 1985 with Tom Roberts as host.
MBC's initial broadcasts were predominantly in English, with some Cree
. A more advanced training program was launched at CJLR in 1986. A strong focus was placed on expanding the use of aboriginal languages and the technical skills of its broadcast staff.
Today, MBC Radio provides a minimum of ten hours of Cree programming and ten hours of Dene programming per week, and strives to integrate the languages into everything from special programs, remote event coverage, and contests, to commercial content and more.
During its formative years MBC was dependent on the Canadian Secretary of State (now Department of Canadian Heritage
) for funding and the use of CBC transmitters in carrying its programming. Through strategic planning by MBC's second CEO Nap Gardiner, MBC became much more independent of federal funding. Today, MBC is primarily supported by advertising
revenue, along with gaming revenue from bingo
broadcasts.
MBC's third CEO Marty Ballentyne brought about the corporation's move into TV production in 1998, serving on the board of directors for Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
, Canada's (and the world's) first independent aboriginal TV network. MBC has been a major contributor to APTN, producing 39 episodes of Heartbeat Of The Earth, a series for and about Saskatchewan's northern aboriginal peoples and their communities.
MBC has a digital
satellite
delivery system, thus eliminating reliance on ground distribution systems. MBC also facilitates and supports the growth and establishment of small community owned low power radio stations, and provides support and training services to them as needed.
The Saskatchewan Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters, also known as SAAB, was founded in 1996 primarily through the efforts of MBC and the community station managers across the north. SAAB has grown into a large cooperative
entity encompassing services for all aboriginal broadcast outlets in Saskatchewan.
MBC's current CEO is Deborah Charles, the first female CEO of an aboriginal radio broadcast network in Canada. She also sits on the board of APTN.
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, serving First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
and Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
communities in the province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
.
The network's flagship station is CJLR in La Ronge
La Ronge, Saskatchewan
La Ronge is a community of about 2,700 people in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, 250 km north of Prince Albert. There are an additional 2,000 people living in the Lac La Ronge First Nation bordering the town, and another 1,000 people living in the neighbouring community of Air Ronge...
. The MBC network broadcasts to more than 70 communities in Saskatchewan, including the major urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
centres, and broadcasts a streaming audio feed over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The station carries hockey games involving the La Ronge Ice Wolves
La Ronge Ice Wolves
The La Ronge Ice Wolves are a Junior "A" team based out of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. They play out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. They play their homes games at the Mel Hegland Uniplex which has a seating capacity of 1,200. Ice Wolves road games are broadcast on CJLR FM 89.9 with...
History
Starting in the 1960s a provincial government radio service called Northern News, broadcasting from Prince AlbertPrince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
, was hosted by its first producer Helga Reydon. The program, a 15-minute weekly series, addressed issues and matters of interest for fishermen and trappers in the north. However, those broadcasts were plagued by poor reception and unequal signal distribution as they were broadcast on an AM radio station in the southern part of the province and had to "skip" into the north. The program also did not air content that was culturally specific to aboriginals.
The provincial government realized its shortcomings in serving the northern citizens of Saskatchewan, and as a result in 1973 a new Northern News program started to be produced out of La Ronge by the Department of Northern Saskatchewan (DNS). This program was hosted by producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
/announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
Barrie Ward, with aboriginal language content added by Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and Michif linguists
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
Tom Roberts and Robert Merasty. The new radio program added more northern content and significantly included major aboriginal language content. The program however ended with the provincial government's disbanding of the DNS in 1982.
In the late 1970s, CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
also began broadcasting a northern program, Keewatin Radio. The program contained some relevant northern content and was aided by better reception due to the installation of the low power FM relay transmitters in the north. The stories, though pertinent to the northern populace, were largely in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and originated in Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
.
In 1983, the federal government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
introduced the Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP), funded and supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage
Department of Canadian Heritage
The Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage |department]] of the Government of Canada with responsibility for policies and programs regarding the arts, culture, media, communications networks, official languages , status of women, sports , and multiculturalism...
. The NNBAP program's aim was to enhance, protect and preserve aboriginal languages while at the same time allowing indigenous peoples to control their own communications services.
In March 1984 a full time coordinating committee was formed and Merasty was hired to gather information. A survey was conducted of the residents of northern Saskatchewan, the results of which gave the organizers a better idea of what aboriginal people wanted to hear on radio. Following the survey, MBC's first board of directors was elected in 1984, with Merasty as the first CEO. The corporation implemented a basic radio skills training program in 1984 that was delivered through the local community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
. The first MBC broadcast took place in February 1985 with Tom Roberts as host.
MBC's initial broadcasts were predominantly in English, with some Cree
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
. A more advanced training program was launched at CJLR in 1986. A strong focus was placed on expanding the use of aboriginal languages and the technical skills of its broadcast staff.
Today, MBC Radio provides a minimum of ten hours of Cree programming and ten hours of Dene programming per week, and strives to integrate the languages into everything from special programs, remote event coverage, and contests, to commercial content and more.
During its formative years MBC was dependent on the Canadian Secretary of State (now Department of Canadian Heritage
Department of Canadian Heritage
The Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage |department]] of the Government of Canada with responsibility for policies and programs regarding the arts, culture, media, communications networks, official languages , status of women, sports , and multiculturalism...
) for funding and the use of CBC transmitters in carrying its programming. Through strategic planning by MBC's second CEO Nap Gardiner, MBC became much more independent of federal funding. Today, MBC is primarily supported by advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
revenue, along with gaming revenue from bingo
Bingo (US)
Bingo is a game of chance played with randomly drawn numbers which players match against numbers that have been pre-printed on 5x5 matrices. The matrices may be printed on paper, card stock or electronically represented and are referred to as cards. Many versions conclude the game when the first...
broadcasts.
MBC's third CEO Marty Ballentyne brought about the corporation's move into TV production in 1998, serving on the board of directors for Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is a Canadian broadcast and cable television network. APTN airs and produces programs made by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples...
, Canada's (and the world's) first independent aboriginal TV network. MBC has been a major contributor to APTN, producing 39 episodes of Heartbeat Of The Earth, a series for and about Saskatchewan's northern aboriginal peoples and their communities.
MBC has a digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
delivery system, thus eliminating reliance on ground distribution systems. MBC also facilitates and supports the growth and establishment of small community owned low power radio stations, and provides support and training services to them as needed.
The Saskatchewan Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters, also known as SAAB, was founded in 1996 primarily through the efforts of MBC and the community station managers across the north. SAAB has grown into a large cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
entity encompassing services for all aboriginal broadcast outlets in Saskatchewan.
MBC's current CEO is Deborah Charles, the first female CEO of an aboriginal radio broadcast network in Canada. She also sits on the board of APTN.
Frequencies
| Call sign | Frequency | City of License |
|---|---|---|
| VF2332 | 97.3 FM | Beardys First Nation |
| CIPI-FM | 96.5 FM | Beauval Beauval, Saskatchewan Beauval, Saskatchewan is a small community located in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It was founded in the early 20th century as a Roman Catholic mission and as a transportation center.-History:... |
| CIWF-FM | 95.7 FM | Big River Reserve |
| VF2298 | 91.7 FM | Black Lake Reserve |
| CHII-FM | 89.9 FM | Brabant Lake Brabant Lake, Saskatchewan Brabant Lake, is a small community of 50 people, is located in Northern Saskatchewan and is two driving hours north east of La Ronge. Trapping, tourism, and mining are the main industries of the area. This village is located in the breath-taking beauty of the Precambrian Shield.-External links:*... |
| CIBN-FM | 89.3 FM | Buffalo Narrows Buffalo Narrows, Saskatchewan Buffalo Narrows is a northern village in Northern Saskatchewan. Buffalo Narrows was founded in the early 20th century as a trapping, mink ranching and fishing settlement by Scandinavian traders. It is now a community of about 1300 people. Tourism and resource extraction are its main economic... |
| CFCK-FM | 103.9 FM | Canoe Lake |
| VF2212 | 101.1 FM | Carrot River Carrot River, Saskatchewan - Entertainment and tourism :Carrot River is home to an acclaimed golf course at Pasquia Park, located six miles south of the town. Tourism is bolstered by the discovery of Big Bert, the remains of a 92-million-year-old crocodile near Pasquia Park on the shores of the Carrot River; these are the... |
| CJCF-FM | 89.9 FM | Cumberland House Cumberland House, Saskatchewan Cumberland House is a village in Census Division No. 18 in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada on the Saskatchewan River. It is the oldest community in Saskatchewan and has a population of about 2000 people... |
| CJLR-FM-2 | 91.9 FM | Denare Beach Denare Beach, Saskatchewan Denare Beach is a community on the east shore of Amisk Lake, Saskatchewan.It has a permanent population of about 770. This doubles in the summer when cabin owners return.-History:... |
| CKBR-FM | 92.7 FM | Dillon |
| VF2299 | 89.9 FM | Fond du Lac |
| CHGL-FM | 94.9 FM | Green Lake Green Lake, Saskatchewan Green Lake is a village in Saskatchewan, Canada. Its residents are predominantly Métis people.Green Lake is located northeast of Meadow Lake, and northwest of Big River... |
| CILX-FM | 92.5 FM | Île-à-la-Crosse |
| VF2300 | 96.5 FM | James Smith |
| CJBW CJBW CJBW is a First Nations community radio station which operates at 1330 AM/KHz in Jans Bay, Saskatchewan, Canada.Owned by Jans Bay Broadcasting Co., the station received Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approval on January 16, 1990... |
1330 AM AM broadcasting AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave... |
Jans Bay Jans Bay, Saskatchewan - See also :* List of communities in Saskatchewan* Villages of Saskatchewan-External links:*******-Footnotes:... (see note below) |
| CJBW-FM | 89.9 FM | Jans Bay Jans Bay, Saskatchewan - See also :* List of communities in Saskatchewan* Villages of Saskatchewan-External links:*******-Footnotes:... |
| CHPN-FM | 89.9 FM | La Loche |
| CJLR-FM-7 | 89.9 FM | Meadow Lake Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan Meadow Lake is a city located in north west Saskatchewan, Canada about north east of Lloydminster and north of North Battleford. On November 9, 2009, it officially became Saskatchewan's 14th city.... |
| CHEC-FM CHEC-FM CHEC-FM is a First Nations community radio station that operates at 93.7 FM in Mistawawsis First Nation, Saskatchewan, Canada.Owned by Director of Operations, Mistawasis First Nations Radio, the station received Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approval on February 14,... |
93.7 FM | Mistawawsis First Nation/Leask Leask, Saskatchewan -Demographics:-Footnotes:... |
| CJLR-FM-8 | 100.9 FM | Mistawawsis First Nation |
| CJLR-FM-1 | 89.9 FM | Montreal Lake |
| CJLR-FM-6 | 95.5 FM | North Battleford North Battleford, Saskatchewan In the late 2000s a large number of Ruthenians have emigrated to Canada, concentrating in North Battleford.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Battlefords area was home to several aboriginal groups... |
| CPAT-FM | 89.9 FM | Patuanak |
| CJAZ-FM | 89.9 FM | Pelican Narrows Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan Pelican Narrows is a northern village in Saskatchewan, located 120 km NW of Creighton via the Hanson Lake Road and highway 135. Its name in Cree is Opawikoscikcan which means "The Narrows of Fear". It is at the narrows that join Mirond and Pelican Lakes which lie between the Sturgeon-Weir and... |
| CFNK-FM | 89.9 FM | Pinehouse Lake |
| CJLR-FM-3 | 88.1 FM | Prince Albert Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan... |
| CJLR-FM-4 | 90.3 FM | Regina Regina, Saskatchewan Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox... |
| CIRN-FM | 104.1 FM | Saskatoon |
| VF2301 | 89.9 FM | Shoal Lake |
| VF2142 | 97.9 FM | Uranium City Uranium City, Saskatchewan Uranium City is a settlement in northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. It is on the northern shores of Lake Athabasca near the border of the Northwest Territories. It is above sea level. The settlement is northwest of Prince Albert, 760 km northeast of Edmonton and south of the Northwest... |
| VF2456 | 89.3 FM | Weyakwin Weyakwin, Saskatchewan Weyakwin is a northern hamlet in Saskatchewan.-External links:* Wacky Town... |
| CJLK-FM | 91.9 FM | Wollaston Lake Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan Wollaston Lake is a hamlet in Saskatchewan. It is the only community on Wollaston Lake. The community has a population of about 800 people, a quarter of whom are members of the Lac La Hache Indian Band. Access is provided by Wollaston Lake Airport and Highway 905. The highway is on the west side of... |
| CJLR-FM-5 | 92.9 FM | Yorkton Yorkton, Saskatchewan Yorkton is a city located in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, near the Manitoba border. Founded and incorporated in 1882 by a group of settlers from Ontario, it has grown to 15,038 residents as of the 2006 census. The city is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Orkney No. 244 and the Rural... |
- (CJBWCJBWCJBW is a First Nations community radio station which operates at 1330 AM/KHz in Jans Bay, Saskatchewan, Canada.Owned by Jans Bay Broadcasting Co., the station received Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approval on January 16, 1990...
1330 was launched in 1990 and is owned by Jans Bay Broadcasting. The current broadcasting status of CJBW is unknown. It is also uncertain, if CJBW has any relation to MBC Radio's CJBW-FM)
External links
- MBC Radio
- MBC Communities list
- CJLR-FM history at Canadian Communications FoundationCanadian Communications FoundationThe Canadian Communications Foundation is a history of Canadian broadcasting for radio and television chronicles and documents. It also provides a history of radio and television stations, including networks, programs, broadcasters and many others....
- Query the REC's Canadian station database for Natotawin Broadcasting Inc.