June 27, 2013

Via Email: Jean-pierre.blais@crtc.gc.ca

Jean-Pierre Blais

Chairman and Chief Executive Office

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Les Terrasses de la Chaudière

Central Building

1 Promenade du Portage

Gatineau, Quebec J8X 4B1

 

Dear Mr. Blais:

Re: Cuts to OMNI Television’s Multilanguage Programming by

Rogers Communication

 

The Asian Canadian Labour Alliance is a multi-racial alliance of community and labour activists

who advocate for the rights of racialized workers in Canada. We are very concerned with the

recent cutbacks to the multicultural programming at OMNI Television (OMNI TV).

OMNI TV is one of the primary sources of information for members of the Asian Canadian

community. OMNI TV has played a critical role in bringing forth stories of interest for our

collective communities. Without OMNI TV, many important issues that are relevant would never

get reported. OMNI news has played a critical role in community campaigns such as the

Campaign for the Redress for Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, the demand for reforms to

the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and raising awareness of the precarious labour force

and its impact on racialized communities. OMNI TV has also represented a diversity of

viewpoints, something that has been absent from most mainstream reporting. The elimination of

these programs will be a significant loss for journalism where the diversity of reporting is

significant in the ever increasing presence of racialized communities across this country.

We urge CRTC to consider the impact that this decision will have on racialized communities

across Canada, and to direct Rogers to restore the cuts to these essential news programs.

Regards,

Anna Liu                                                                    Chris Ramsaroop

Co-Chair                                                                    Co-Chair

Asian Canadian Labour Alliance                               Asian Canadian Labour Alliance