Cultural Diversity Action Report Draft for September 2011 – August 2012 Knowledge Network Corporation Cultural Diversity Best Practices Report to the CRTC for the 2011/12 Broadcast Year (September 2011 – August 2012) Preamble Knowledge Network Corporation (KNC) values cultural diversity among individuals and groups, and acknowledges that cultural diversity encompasses many elements including: race, ethnicity, language, religion, value and belief systems, disability, class, sexuality, gender, and age. KNC does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of such attributes and is committed to providing an environment where people are treated with respect and supported in their work. Since 1981, KNC has supported local and regional voices in British Columbia. We acknowledge our responsibility as a public educational broadcaster to provide programming that meets the needs of a culturally diverse learning community. We are committed to fostering multiculturalism by encouraging diversity in the independent production sector in British Columbia and Canada. KNC continues to develop new opportunities, creating original programming for television and the Internet that will engage British Columbia’s varied and distinct population. Through policies and practices relating to equitable hiring, on-air reflection, controversial programming and program acquisition and commissioning, KNC provides programming that reflects and respects the cultural diversity of the British Columbians we serve. Article 1 Application and Implementation 1.1 KNC’s Cultural Diversity Best Practices (“Best Practices”) will apply to all programming on the broadcast service; 1.2 All Directors will be accountable to the President and CEO on application of the Best Practices, appropriate to the departments they manage; 1.3 Staff will be informed of the Best Practices and be expected to apply the principles to KNC business activities; 1.4 Every staff member will have a copy of the Best Practices; it will also be posted in a conspicuous place at KNC as well as on the KNC website. 1.5 The Director of Business and Content Management will monitor the implementation of the Best Practices on a quarterly basis, reporting directly to the President on progress. New Actions We continue to distribute Best Practices to staff on a regular basis and they remain posted on Corporate bulletin boards and on the Knowledge website. 1 Cultural Diversity Action Report Draft for September 2011 – August 2012 Article 2 On-Air Reflection 2.1 The Creative Director will oversee the selection, screening, editing and scheduling of all programming to ensure it reflects KNC’s Best Practices. 2.2 KNC’s on-air image will reflect and promote the cultural diversity of British Columbia, through culturally diverse on-air talent, independent production and sponsorship partners. New Actions Actions for this Article 2 include content that was broadcast or publicized during the reporting year while actions in Article 3 include projects that were commissioned or acquired during the reporting year. Programming related Actions in both articles have been categorized for ease of understanding. Kids programming featuring ethnically diverse talent and cultural diversity: Children’s programming on Knowledge Kids strives to reflect the diversity of our audiences in shows such as Hi-5 ( five talented and culturally-diverse singers and dancers offer a world of learning through music, movement and fun) and Martha Speaks (A strong, empowered female lead character leads this literacy and vocabulary-based series). Other kids titles that support cultural diversity include: Dino Dan, Numberjacks, Wild Kratts, Peep and the Big Wide World, The Little Prince Continuation of the branded strand East is East, focused on Asia Pacific: China Blue – a revealing look inside a blue jeans factory in southern China where teenage workers struggle to survive harsh working conditions. The Treasure – deep beneath the Java Sea lies a priceless treasure – the wreck of an ancient merchant ship dating from 10th century China, the oldest ever discovered. Secrets of the Battleship Yamato – featuring interviews with survivors and underwater images of the ill-fated battleship, this fascinating documentary reveals the secrets of her design, her final mission and the violent events that brought her down. Asia’s Monarchy – in this five-part series we journey to the heart of these beautiful lands to understand the relationship between the people and their monarchs. Mao – tells the riveting story of Mao Zedong from his peasant roots to his role as the father of Chinese Communism. 2 Cultural Diversity Action Report Draft for September 2011 – August 2012 India with Sanjeev Bhaskar – British actor and comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar tries to get under the skin of modern India – from the sights and sounds that characterize Indian life to the lush beauty of the landscape, this series is an atmospheric portrait of one of the world’s emerging superpowers. Marco Polo Reloaded – Bradley Mayhew is on a mission: he’s following the Silk Road on the tracks of its most well-known voyager, the medieval traveler and writer Marco Polo. Mayhew is a British travel writer who pens guidebooks for Lonely Planet, and in this four-part series he covers the ancient trade route’s entire length, from Venice to Beijing. Indian Hill Railways – from the Himalayas in the north, to the Nilgiri Mountains in the south – for over a hundred years, little steam trains have climbed through the clouds and into the wonderful world of Indian Hill Railways. In this three-part series, we travel along the historic train lines and meet the people whose lives they have shaped. Bombay Railway – in 2005 a meter of rain fell in 12 hours and Bombay suffered its worst ever flood. Over 100 people lost their lives yet within 48 hours, the trains were running again. In fact Indian trains are more punctual than trains in the UK. These films take the viewer into the huge and bureaucratic world of trains, exploring the lives of the 1.6 million people who work on the railways and also the many people who live in the slums by the railway. Beijing: Biography of an Imperial Capital – in this three-part series, the rich history of China’s ancient capital city is brought to life using stunning reconstructions and CGI. From the city’s conquest and destruction by the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan, to the moment when China’s last emperor was expelled from the Forbidden City, Beijing’s biography is a story of mighty rulers, rebels and renegades. The Spice Trail – Kate Humble sets off on a journey along the exotic “spice trail” in this fascinating three-part series. The Spice Trail is a tantalizing mix of epic voyages, bloody wars, global trade, traditional cultures and, of course, delicious food. Made in China – this documentary takes you behind-the-scenes of China’s most popular TV talent show, watched by over 100 million people. The contestants are all foreigners who must perform entirely in Mandarin, much to the audience’s delight. Indian School – what is it like to live in one of the fastest-growing and most culturally diverse countries in the world? This series looks at India through the eyes of a group of school children. It follows students in two Indian schools for 3 Cultural Diversity Action Report Draft for September 2011 – August 2012 a year, from the success of the school cricket team to the pressures of critical exams. Programming featuring aboriginals or First Nations as subject matter: Wild Horses, Unconquered People – this documentary weaves together an intricate story that encompasses the wild horses, the science behind their peculiar genetic heritage and the remarkable symbiosis with the First Nations people who share the remote patch of land on which they thrive. Incident at Restigouche – on June 11 and 20, 1981 the Quebec Provincial Police raided Restigouche Reserve – at issue were the salmon fishing rights of the Micmac people. Because salmon has traditionally been a source of food and income to the Micmacs, the Quebec government’s decision to restrict fishing aroused consternation and anger – this film provides a historical perspective on the issue. Duncan Campbell Scott: The Poet and the Indians – an intimate portrait on one of Canada’s early literary figures, who made his mark in history as head of the Department of Indian Affairs and implemented one of the most brutal assimilation programs that Canada ever levied. Reservation Soldiers – this documentary focuses on the relationship between the Canadian military and aboriginal youth. For three teenage boys from remote Western Canadian reservations, the military represents an opportunity they don’t often see at home – adventure, discipline and cold hard cash. Kinngait: Riding Light in the World – set in the Canadian Arctic, this is an intimate, first-hand account of how the tiny, isolated Inuit community of Cape Dorset became the internationally celebrated art capital of the North. T’lina: The Rendering of Wealth – each spring, the families of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation travel to a sacred place along the northwest coast of BC for the annual eulachon harvest. Capturing intimate footage of a contemporary harvest, this documentary offers a rare glimpse of a traditional way of life. Incident at Oglala – Robert Redford goes in search of the truth in Michael Apted’s classic documentary about jailed Native American activist Leonard Peltier and the incident at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that left two FBI agents dead. Whale Rider – a contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. 4 Cultural Diversity Action Report Draft for September 2011 – August 2012 Documentaries featuring women in key roles: Mary Shelley: The Birth of a Monster – the creator of a modern monster and a visionary of a scientific future, Mary Shelley is an enduring and remarkable novelist. This program discovers how the author’s personal life, even at age 19, influenced her most famous work and why her ideas resonate so clearly today.