Page - 161 - in Media – Migration – Integration - European and North American Perspectives

Augie Fleras | Ethnic and Aboriginal Media in Canada 161 a commitment to engage language diversity without losing sight of Canada’s official French-English bilingualism. While operating primarily in English and French to ensure the integration of immigrants into Canadian society, broadcasting in Canada is expected: […] through its programming and the employment opportunities ari- sing out of its operations, [to] serve the needs and interests, and re- flect the circumstances and aspirations, of Canadian men, women, and children, including equal rights, the linguistic duality and multi- cultural and multiracial nature of Canadian society and the special place of aboriginal peoples within that society. This diversity agenda has culminated in the development of a sophisticated and complex broadcasting system that serves both English and French as well as aboriginal peoples, in addition to a range of third language services that now constitute an important tile in Canada’s media-mosaic (Lincoln et al 2005). Ethnic radio programming is present in most Canadian cities, ranging in scope from time slots at mainstream stations to ethnic radio stations in third languages. Television is particularly important, including an aboriginal tele- vision network. Multicultural channels (OMNI 1 and 2 in Toronto) are found in major Canadian cities, in addition to time slots on community cable, commercial stations and a national network (Vision TV). In total, Canada’s system of mixed private-public-populist arrangement comprises nearly 700 private and public television services (511 English, 115 French, and 53 third language) together with 1, 158 radio services (867 English, 253 French, and 38 third language) (CRTC 2006). Canada also possesses a lively if increasingly beleaguered publishing sector. Currently, there are 105 daily papers across Canada, down from a peak of 138 in 1938, but up from 87 in 1945. Ownership of newspapers has devolved as well to several major chains including CanWest Global, Hollinger International, Torstar, Quebecor, Osprey Media Group (recently purchased by Quebecor), and Power (Canadian Newspaper Association 2006). Although 5.2 million Canadians receive a daily paper (down from 5,7 million in 1989), readership continues to remain steady with a total of 11,8 million weekly readers in the major 17 markets – a figure that remained steady between 2001 and 2005 despite immigration driven population increases. Readership of online papers continues to grow; in 2005, 15 percent of adults 18 years and over read an online edition of a newspaper. Equally impressive is the growth of free daily papers; for example, up to 27 percent of Toronto adults and 23 percent of Montreal adults read a free daily each week. In short, despite