November 28th, 2000

INTERVENTION / INTERVENTION

9146 MS DHILLON: Madam Chair, Members of the Commission, Commission staff, broadcasters and members of the public, I would also like to acknowledge the Cosalish traditional territories on which we are meeting today.

9147 My name is Harinder Dhillon, and I am here to support the application of Newcap Broadcasting.

9148 I am the Coordinator of the Capital Region Race Relations Association. We are the first of its kind anti-racism support services centre in North America and have been the recipient of two awards, one by the Attorney General in 1999, and this year a Building Safer Communities Award from the Women's Equality Ministry and the B.C. Yukon Transition House Societies.

9149 We have established something called the Community Coalition Against Racism in Victoria. It consists of over 40 organizations with its members ranging from: student groups, women's groups, unions, human rights organizations, and front line workers. It has taken on fairly controversial social justice issues such as: the fine line between free speech versus hate speech, asylum seekers versus economic refugees, and aboriginal deaths in police custody.

9150 The Race Relations Association has also made appearances before the Commission on previous occasions to support significant initiatives in the broadcasting field: at the Vancouver hearings this year for a Victoria television licence and a multi-lingual programming licence for the lower mainland; as well, we have participated in CRTC roundtable discussions regarding community access and participation in the CRTC process.

9151 We are especially interested in the development of truly inclusive media which reflects the diversity in our communities. When I say "inclusive media", I am speaking about how media can, and continues to, impact the lives of people of colour on a daily basis.

9152 I believe that your decision in this licensing process can make a significant difference for the vast audience that has no voice.

9153 For instance, here are a couple of examples that demonstrate the media's failure to serve the public interest.

9154 The first case is well known in Vancouver's aboriginal community.

9155 A local commercial radio phone-in host was heard asking for listeners to call in as many stories that that had the negative stereotyping of the "lazy, drunken Indian".

9156 The outrage from the community which followed the news of this particular programming, was in fact lead by local native radio broadcasters from community station COOP radio, in part, probably, because they had some access to limited airwaves there. Now we are asking questions from the island, as well as I am sure local groups: why did the commercial radio station take no action against that hose? Why did the station think they could get away with such discrimination? And we must also then ask: how can such negative attitudes continue to be so easily promoted?

9157 The second example involves an ongoing coroner's inquest in Victoria, in which there is very little media coverage, either in Vancouver or on the island. In this case, an aboriginal man has died under mysterious circumstances involving police paramedics and healthcare professionals.

9158 These two example, and many others, lead us to wonder how to overcome systemic discrimination. The answer, in part, is actually rather straightforward: integrate ethnically diverse people into newsrooms and into each department within every media outlet.

9159 Listeners in Vancouver need to consistently hear these ethno-specific voices and their perspectives on the airwaves. It is this presence that will provide designated groups with a sense of belonging.

9160 Equity initiatives in any work site offers marginalized groups an opportunity to overcome employment barriers, thus resulting in staff diversity which becomes not only an asset to the employer but also to the listening community.

9161 The Newcap proposal in front of you is extremely compatible with progressive race relations policies. And most of us know that the four designated employment equity groups are: women, persons with disabilities, aboriginal people, and people of colour.

9162 Newcap is committed to a hiring policy that will reflect the actual make-up of each of these designated groups in the community at large. For example, if Newcap were to follow the federal guidelines, it would simply be required to hire no fewer than 30 per cent women. Because Newcap will reflect the actual make-up of society, it will be staffing no fewer than 50 per cent women. And Newcap will operate with this staff from all four of the employment equity groups from day one.

9163 I am also here to support Newcap's application because, through its approval, the Commission will be creating two new editorial voices in Vancouver, the second being the Vancouver Aboriginal Voices Radio.

9164 Both Newcap and AVR efforts will work together to bring balance to Vancouver media. In the case of AVR, the remedy has a national impact because the programming produced will heard across the country.

9165 Newcap's funding for an AVR news bureau in Vancouver, staffed by an aboriginal reporter, will definitely have a positive impact on Vancouver's understanding of aboriginal issues, stories and perspectives.

9166 Listeners are neglected by Vancouver radio stations. They have a right to be informed, and they have a need to understand.

9167 The Race Relations Association is encouraged by the partnership between AVR and Newcap, a partnership that will strengthen communities and build new relationships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians.

9168 The Commission should agree to license both Newcap and AVR, and not lose this opportunity to bring new voices to Vancouver airwaves.

9169 Commissioners, please make this a win-win for all Vancouver listeners.

9170 Thank you for your time and consideration this morning.

9171 THE CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Ms Dhillon. I believe Commissioner Cram has some questions.

9172 COMMISSIONER CRAM: Thank you.

9173 Ms Dhillon, I wanted to first ask one thing. You are the Coordinator for the Capital Region Race Relations Association.

9174 MS DHILLON: Yes.

9175 COMMISSIONER CRAM: That is clearly in Victoria.

9176 MS DHILLON: Yes.

9177 COMMISSIONER CRAM: Is there such a thing, a similar association, here, meaning Vancouver?

9178 MS DHILLON: Not quite. Not quite. Even though we are an umbrella organization that is inclusive of aboriginal and new and established communities that want to address and look at issues related to racism. So we are unique in that we are not specifically for new immigrants or First Nations. We are inclusive to anybody that wants to engage with this issue. So when you are looking at racism you are looking at media, you are looking at policies, immigration, et cetera, education.

9179 We have created a site where that is welcome, that topic and that discussion is welcome.

9180 COMMISSIONER CRAM: So there is not a similar organization in Vancouver at all?

9181 MS DHILLON: Not someone that has the umbrella and has that mandate that is anti-racism specific. You are looking at immigrant-serving agencies. You are looking at aboriginal community specific services, but not again a drop-in safe site. So it is quite unique. And it has been recognized by international human rights commissions this summer in one of their resolutions -- I didn't mention that, but I am mentioning it now -- because of the uniqueness of the service that we provide.

9182 COMMISSIONER CRAM: So then when you talked about the Ministry of Women's Equality, this Building a Safer Community Award, I mean, that really had nothing to do with the media. Was it really sort of a violence issue against women?

9183 MS DHILLON: I think that the community started to pay attention to looking at: how race impacts, violence against women's issues, sexual assault, media-related issues, what gets covered, what doesn't, who gets to report, who gets to speak to these issues. Again, we are talking about -- when I mentioned that there is a community that has no voice, we are talking about critical social justice topics that are not adequately, you know, in depth sort of processed in the community with media. It tends to be done very quietly on the side amongst certain sort of activist groups and it stays there. It doesn't relate them or go out to the general mainstream community for a decent discussion on these topics.

9184 COMMISSIONER CRAM: In a perfect world, and let's say we were in that perfect world and there were three frequencies available, in other words, three sort of lines to the perfect world, how would we handle that? When we have a public broadcaster saying they are the priority, when we have people talking about multi-ethnic/multi-cultural issues, when we have people talking about youth and dealing with youth issues, how do we make that balance? Then of course there is the native -- they are public airwaves, but how do we make that balance, how do we achieve that balance?

9185 MS DHILLON: I think the mainstream community has a right to have really in-depth analysis around some very, very difficult issues, and that will involve youth, that will involve First Nations communities, it will involve ethno-cultural communities. I think it is a disservice to the mainstream community as well not to be able to access that kind of data and information to make some decent conclusions for themselves. They are influenced entirely by very right wing media moguls and their staff.

9186 I think in the perfect world you are going to make sure that all of it is covered adequately, you know. It is not an add-on. That is something that is ongoing and is sustained. It is not going to be set up to fail. That is why we like what the Newcap and the AVR relationship is doing here, which is sustaining a very much ongoing, successful voice for aboriginal communities, and that is crucial.

9187 COMMISSIONER CRAM: Thank you. Thank you very much.

9188 MS DHILLON: You're welcome.

9189 COMMISSIONER CRAM: Madam Chair.

9190 THE CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Commissioner Cram.

9191 Thank you both very much. We appreciate you taking the time to come and inform our deliberations.