Conservative government accused of wanting to "wipe out" aboriginal media

The largest independent aboriginal radio station in Canada's North broadcasts in 32 different communities and three diamond mines across the Northwest Territories. CKLB serves these remote communities in English and the indigenous languages of North Slavey (Sahtu), South Slavey (Deh Cho), Denesuline (Chipewyan), Gwich’in, and Tlicho Yati.

APTN National News has some troubling news about this key broadcaster's plight. In an APTN report, Les Carpenter—CEO of the Native Communications Society of the Northwest Territories, which owns CKLB—states: "I think it's in their hidden agenda to wipe out all aboriginal media together."

Carpenter is referring to the Conservative government. You see, CKLB gets most of its funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage. And Carpenter claims that funding is more than a year behind schedule—something that he notes wouldn't happen to other broadcasters.

According to him, aboriginal people have the right to access information in their own languages. But APTN reports CKLB had to shut down over the holidays due to its funding woes, and Carpenter asserts that the government seems to want them to close for good.