SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As many as 11 employees at a Yellowknife radio station could be laid off by Aug. 1.

CKLB employees put on brave faces as they face possible layoffs. Among them are Clayton Bishop, left, Deneze Nakehk'o, Lawrence Nayally, Marlene Grooms and Judi Kochon in front. - John McFadden/NNSL photo

The NWT's only indigenous broadcaster, CKLB issued lay off notices to its employees last week, said the station's director of radio, Deneze Nakehk'o.

He said it's because of a lack of funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Nakehk'o said the aboriginal-run station is owed its final cheque from the last fiscal year and the first one from this fiscal year. Nakehk'o would not say how much of the station's funding is outstanding.

"Our people are sad and frustrated but unless the funding comes through, our hands are tied."

He says one person has already been laid off, while three others left on their own.

The station has had to cut or modify some programming.

That includes the popular Saturday afternoon request show which has now been taken off their air.

The station, on the air since the 1980s, is run by the Native Communication Society which receives the majority of its funding from Canadian. Heritage

It's run as a not-for-profit organization, but does augment its budget by selling on-air advertising.

It also gets some money from the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Nakehk'o says the station's funding has been on a downward slide for the past five years, but it's been in a particular money crunch for the past 18 months.

He says the station received $627,000 from the department in the last fiscal year, down from $667,000 the year before.

Nakehk'o said he thinks Prime Minister Stephen Harper may have had something to do with the funding lapse.

"Mr. Harper has shown a lack of understanding and sympathy toward aboriginal issues and our lack of funding may be another example of that."

Nakehk'o said bureaucrats in Ottawa have no idea of the service that CKLB provide to aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories.

"They won't just be losing a radio station, but an important part of their culture," he said.

Nakehk'o said most elders out in the communities speak and understand English, but when it comes to news and information and issues close to home, they feel more comfortable hearing it in their mother tongue. CKLB helps to meet that need by broadcasting in five Dene languages daily across the NWT.

Nakehk'o said the federal government talks a good game when it comes to the importance of preserving and promoting aboriginal languages but in this case it won't put its money where its mouth is.

He added it's frustrating to not know when, or even if, the station will receive its funding.

Nakehk'o says he's received little explanation from the heritage department as to why the funding hasn't come through.

"Part of the problem is that we receive our money on a year-to-year basis. We have asked for a plan whereby they could provide a two- to three-year budget for us. That way we could ensure our staff stays and upgrade some of our equipment. Most of what we're working with is from the 1990s and is woefully out of date."

CKLB went off the air for almost a week in late December of 2012.

It came back on in January after some funding was committed to the station by Canadian Heritage.

An official with the federal agency at that time said funding had not been cut, but withheld until CKLB submitted the proper paperwork in order to receive the money.

Nakehk'o said there are no plans at this point to take the station off the air but adds if funding doesn't come through by Aug. 1, the station will be forced to eliminate live programming.

He says the staff will be at a bare minimum with only the number of people needed to put music and commercials to air.

Canadian Heritage did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

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