DIVERSITY IN PROGRAMMING

VisionTV has consistently supported original programming and related initiatives that reflect the cultural and spiritual diversity of the Canadian population.

Residential Schools: Moving Beyond Survival (2001) - In partnership with CBC Newsworld and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, VisionTV presented a two-part special on the social, cultural and spiritual legacy of the Aboriginal residential school system. The program, supported online by an extensive Web site, included roundtable discussions, documentary reports and a town-hall forum.

Lord Have Mercy! (2003) - Working with independent production company Leda Serene Films, VisionTV developed Canada's first truly multicultural situation comedy. Set at a Caribbean storefront church in Toronto, the program featured a diverse and talented cast that included Caribbean, South Asian and Aboriginal performers. VisionTV launched the series with a special programming event during Black History Month, and supported it with targeted advertising in local and national multicultural media.

360 Vision (2003-present) - VisionTV's award-winning national current affairs series examines the role of faith, spirituality, ethics and values in Canada's pluralistic society. 360 Vision is committed to exploring diversity - and, in particular, the complexity within diversity; better than any other program on national television, it captures the broad spectrum of beliefs that exist within all cultural and faith groups. Producers carefully track the show's portrayal of diversity, measuring success against concrete goals. Since 360 Vision's launch, the program has told stories about a remarkable variety of contemporary Canadians: a Sikh woman awaiting a special airlift of holy books from India; an Ecuadorian-Canadian Anglican priest giving sanctuary to a Guatemalan refugee; a Muslim family under scrutiny by Canada's intelligence service; and a young Zoroastrian woman who would rather spend her life alone than marry outside the faith.

Kink in My Hair (2004) - VisionTV's Cultural Diversity Drama Competition opened up a rare opportunity for emerging filmmakers from visible minority backgrounds to create hour-long drama programs for national broadcast. VisionTV aired all three of the winning projects in 2004-2005, and supported each of these programs with targeted marketing and promotions initiatives. In the case of Kink in My Hair, a drama set in a Caribbean-Canadian hair salon, VisionTV advertised and publicized the series both in mainstream national media and in diverse community publications (Share) and radio stations (FLOW 93.5). VisionTV also allied with Mirvish Productions to help promote a revival of the original stage play on which Kink in My Hair was based. Both partners benefited: Kink was one of VisionTV's highest-rated programs for the week of Nov. 21-28, 2004, while the stage show proved a runaway hit for Mirvish.

VisionTV Canada Day Mela (2005) - On July 1, 2005, VisionTV joined forces with its South Asian programming partners to host this day-long fair showcasing Canada's unique cultural mosaic. The event, promoted on-air, on the VisionTV Web site and through community media, attracted thousands of visitors to the grounds of the Brampton Sports Centre to enjoy a midway, live entertainment from India, Pakistan and the West Indies, and a host of other attractions.