Our Stories, Our Voice Campaign

Home , Canadian content

Our S tories, Our Voice Campaign to create and share educational and entertaining Canadian content to a bi-national audience

Canadians have important stories to tell about our own remarkable history, our first class cultural institutions, and who we are as a people. But who will support this storytelling, and how should it be disseminated?

Bringing Canadian narratives to a broader audience is of utmost importance. A creative strategy is required to develop, inform, and promote what is distinctly Canadian not only to Canada but beyond geographic borders.

The potential exists for CCPTA to promote richer, more meaningful content about the Canadian experience, as well as use its history of collaboration with Buffalo Toronto Public Media to distribute that content through affiliated NPR and PBS stations. Funding is needed to support the necessary research, development, and production costs that will make this content a reality.

You can help to give Canadians a voice!

By creating and delivering uniquely Canadian content, we can more effectively educate the world about what it means to be Canadian. Through compelling partnerships with organizations such as Buffalo Toronto Public Media, CCPTA has valuable access to PBS, NPR and other educational television and radio outlets.

Why partner with PBS and NPR affiliates to disseminate Canadian stories beyond our borders?

The Our Stories, Our Voice Campaign

The Central Canadian Public Television Association (CCPTA), has launched the Our Stories, Our Voice $5 million dollar endowment campaign that will strengthen our educational objectives and expand our gateway for Canadian content producers.

The annual income disbursed from the endowment will support the research and development of Canadian focused television productions as well as fund writers and producers to assist in bringing that content to a broad audience.

Your support will also help to fund Canadian based on-air radio talent. This Canadian Managing Editor will work full-time and broadcast out of an existing Toronto office located on Richmond Street West. This individual will coordinate with a network of freelance journalists and other content providers across Canada to become a leading resource for Canadian news reporting aimed at US audiences through 900 NPR member stations.

Because of its history of collaboration with Buffalo Toronto Public Media, CCPTA has access to affiliated NPR and PBS stations that have the ability to connect them to attentive audiences.

We’ve hit a turning point in the history of national and local programming focused on the Canadian experience. The stories we could tell about Canada are limited only by the imaginations of the talented content producers we will collaborate with.

With your help, CCPTA will be able to play a significant role in the development of new educational Canadian content and present Canadian perspectives on stories that are important to us.

The Our Stories, Our Voice campaign will allow for:

1. An expansion of the work that CCPTA has already done to help drive educational and entertaining Canadian content to a bi-national television audience -- such as recreations of historic events, celebrations of our country’s natural beauty, and biographies highlighting some of our most beloved citizens.

2. A M anaging Editor to be put in place, at a dedicated Canadian studio, who is in charge of developing educational content from a Canadian perspective, leading a live digital presence, telling Canadian stories, and highlighting issues of social importance that will be targeted for broadcast through public radio stations.

This campaign will result in the distribution of more educational content, under the direction of the CCPTA, that shares the story of what it means to be Canadian.

Expanding On Current Content Production

Right now in Ontario, Canadian networks offer radio and television content that is broadcast strictly to audiences in this country. They simply do not have the reach to make Canadian content more accessible to a non-Canadian audience. We can educate the rest of the world on Canadian history, culture and values through the production, distribution, and promotion of non-commercial television and radio programming.

For 60 years, Buffalo Toronto Public Media has consulted with a variety of Canadian individuals and organizations and acted as an agent for CCPTA, to develop production and content ideas that educate and appeal to a broad bi-national audience. C CPTA has enjoyed the opportunity to put our resources behind those that deal with subjects that are overwhelmingly Canadian, deemed interesting to Canadian audiences, and contain a significant amount of Canadian content.

With the help of generous donors during this campaign, CCPTA will create an endowment fund that will earn money to expand Canada-focused storytelling well into the future. This work will continue CCPTA’s rich history of supporting content that has delighted and educated audiences in the U.S. and Canada.

CCPTA has already been successful in sharing Canadian stories through our use of Buffalo Toronto Public Media as our agent. The following are some examples.

Captivating TV programs have included NATIONAL titles such as:

Underground Railroad: The William Still Story (2012)

Production budget: $829,000 Viewership: 3,517,930

Telling the often overlooked story of the role that Canada played in the Underground Railroad, including a recount of the life of William Still, an important figure in the history of slavery.

The Klondike Gold Rush (2014)

Production budget: $510,000 Viewership: 3 ,383,274

In the late 1800s, thousands of fortune seekers sought to make their riches by striking gold in one of the most challenging environments in North America. The program shares the stories of the winners and losers in this epic story of survival.

The Canadian Rockies by Rail (2016)

Production budget: $225,000 Viewership: 1,996,958

Taking viewers along for a trip through the Pacific Northwest to explore the beauty of the Canadian Rockies.

The War of 1812 (2011)

Production budget: $2,155,000 Viewership: 695,632

Recounting one of the most important historical events along the Niagara Frontier using re-enactments, animation and commentary.

Hockey: More Than a Game (2011)

Production budget: $250,000 Viewership: 525,163

Celebrating one of the fastest, most challenging games in the world and how it ties in with the Canadian spirit, traditions and dramatic human stories.

LOCAL programs like these have also delighted and educated audiences in specific regions of Canada:

Remembering Crystal Beach Park (2008)

Production budget: $70,000 Viewership: 411,792

This documentary brings a beloved lakeside amusement park in Southern Ontario to life through interviews and home videos.

The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain (2013)

Production budget: $524,000 Viewership: 346,453

An inside look at this theatre company throughout its 2012 summer season, giving unprecedented access to all its unique aspects.

Toronto’s First Family of Theatre (2016)

Production budget: $128,000 Viewership: 25,626

Telling the story of Ed Mirvish and his son David, as they help to put Toronto on the world stage for presenting live theatre.

Some of these productions also included collateral educational materials that were made available at no cost to educators for use in their classrooms across the U.S. and Canada.

So Many Stories Left to Tell!

Canadians have only just begun to tell the stories that go into making up who we are as a nation. By financially supporting the creation of new television and radio content that will be shared through Buffalo Toronto Public Media (acting as CCPTA’s agent) and, potentially, other PBS and NPR affiliates, CCPTA can ensure that Canada’s distinct identity continues to be represented to others. Through this initiative, we will continue to enlighten, educate and entertain Canadians with stories about their own country and further expose Americans to our sources of national pride.

Here are some ideas for future content that CCPTA has an interest in developing:

NATIONAL

● Canada’s National Parks: An exploration of the endless variety and diversity of landscapes in Canada’s extensive network of national protected parks.

● The Railway that Built the Nation: T elling the story of Canada’s first transcontinental railroad, the birth of which is often considered the true birth of the Canadian nation.

● Canada’s Great Cities: Visiting the most famous cities in Canada that cover a range of destination types reflecting the diversity of the country.

● Guardians of Great Bear Lake: E xploring the history and beauty of the natural wonder of Great Bear Lake which straddles the Arctic Circle in the remote Northwest Territories of Canada.

● The Secret World of the Royal Ontario Museum: T aking a closer look at the more than six million objects on display in over 40 galleries throughout this cultural treasure.

LOCAL

● Lighthouses of Lake Ontario: A n exploration of the history, folklore, and status of American and Canadian lighthouses of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Our Path to Creating Compelling Content

The creation of educational Canadian content through the Our Stories, Our Voice campaign will follow a clear process f or program development:

1. After gathering input from informed Canadians, CCPTA will work with agents such as Buffalo Toronto Public Media to generate new ideas for television programming.

2. CCPTA representatives will review the potential ideas and back programs that deal with subjects that are interesting to Canadian audiences and fulfill the educational component of our mission.

3. Once program ideas are selected by the CCPTA Board of Directors or their designee, the CCPTA will ensure the programs contain an overwhelming amount of Canadian content and have a Canadian co-producer.

4. Completed programs will run on WNED PBS and may also be picked up by other affiliates across the PBS network. Rights for the program will remain with WNED PBS. However, in some cases Canadian broadcasters may secure the rights and run the programs several times across Canada.

5. Educational and informative content will also extend to radio broadcast and CCPTA will facilitate the creation of programming for non-commercial airing on WBFO or other NPR affiliates across the U.S..

Help Preserve Canadian Storytelling

Canada is filled with an eclectic mix of voices with powerful stories waiting to be told. It is important that we continue to share who we are. W e must pull together to make this happen!

Creating quality educational television and radio programming involve high costs related to research, development, and production in order to make professional programs available to the public.

You can help to ensure that the CCPTA has the funding needed to support the production, distribution and promotion of educational Canadian content through non-commercial television and radio stations.

For additional information, contact Sylvia Bennett at:

Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-800-678-1723 ext. 307 Mail: 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo, NY 14202 Attn: Giving Back Looking Forward

Our Stories, Our Voice - Endowment Breakdown

A fully funded $2.5 million endowment will provide $125,000 in income annually that will support:

An expansion of the work that CCPTA has already done to help drive educational and entertaining Canadian content to a bi-national television audience -- such as recreations of historic events, celebrations of our country’s natural beauty, and biographies highlighting some of our most beloved citizens.

A M anaging Editor to be put in place, at a dedicated Canadian studio, who is in charge of developing educational content from a Canadian perspective, leading a live digital presence, telling Canadian stories, and highlighting issues of social importance that will be targeted for broadcast through public radio stations.

Our Stories, Our Voice - Opportunities to Become Involved

CCPTA is headquartered in an existing office and social space which is located in the heart of Toronto's thriving media and entertainment district and is destined to be a unique hub of activity for CCPTA's presence in Southern Ontario.

We envision the location becoming a forward-thinking media space equipped with modern technology, allowing for creative collaboration among educators, writers and producers. Public town halls, industry receptions, internships and other learning opportunities are also possible.

A generous donation to our capital campaign will provide membership in our Leadership Giving Program. In addition, the following recognition opportunities exist for gifts at larger levels.

Naming Opportunity Description Amount

Endowment Fund An opportunity to name the endowment fund which will $2,500,000 provide seed money for the development of original educational content celebrating Canada’s diverse people, rich culture and storied history with a bi-national audience.

Toronto Office An opportunity to name the existing Toronto office $1,000,000 space that will host a dedicated Canadian Managing Editor, radio studio and live digital studio.

Radio Studio An opportunity to name the radio studio which will host $500,000 a Canadian Managing Editor who will speak to a bi-national audience about issues that are educational and important to Canadians.

Live Digital Studio An opportunity to name the live digital studio which will $500,000 host interactive live social media events covering topics that are important and educational to Canadians and viewed by a potential worldwide audience.

Board Room An opportunity to name the executive board room, $250,000 which will serve as a meeting space for CCPTA’s board of directors and also serve as a public space available for various corporate, non-profit and community partners.

Lounge An opportunity to name the Lounge, which serves as the $125,000 central focal point of the facility. The Lounge is a multi-use and modern space that can be repurposed for various activities for public stakeholders including town halls, guest lectures, industry receptions and bi-national live broadcast events.

Meeting Rooms (2) An opportunity to name two meeting rooms in the suite $50,000 to be used by CCPTA staff, reporters and administration to implement strategies for increased dissemination of more educational Canadian content.

Commissary An opportunity to name the kitchen and eating area $25,000 which will serve as the center of activity for receptions and other events hosted in the suite.

Total $5,000,000

For additional information, contact:

Sylvia Bennett

Email: c [email protected] Phone: 1-800-678-1723 ext. 307 Mail: 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo, NY 14202 Attn: Giving Back Looking Forward

*The CCPTA has permission to use Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s logo. Buffalo Toronto Public Media is an agent in creating Canadian programming.