Canada is one of most culturally diverse places in the world. With a host of constitutional and legislative measures, including an official policy on multiculturalism, Canada has embraced its ethno-cultural diversity in both policy and practice.

Cultural diversity in the media, especially as reflected and portrayed on television, has been the subject of debate, study and action by many nations. In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the regulator that oversees Canadian broadcasting, has a mandate to ensure that all broadcasters contribute to a system that accurately reflects the presence of cultural, ethnic and racial minorities, and Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

In 2002, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) established the Task Force for Cultural Diversity on Television comprised of five industry and four non-industry representatives. The Task Force is pleased to present its report and accompanying research study representing the findings and outcome of nearly two years' work examining the reflection and portrayal of cultural diversity on Canadian private television. The Report is a leading, groundbreaking initiative within the international body of diversity research and study and thanks to an approach to research that applied a number of measures, the study which accompanies the Report is without question the most comprehensive of its kind ever undertaken.

In combining a wide-ranging study with a broad set of recommended Best Practices and Industry Initiatives, the Report of the Task Force represents both an opportunity and a challenge for Canada's private broadcasters. While inroads have been made in reflecting and portraying cultural diversity on television, and many positive examples exist, the challenge for broadcasters will be to build on this foundation in a way that benefits their increasingly diverse audiences and their businesses.

These web pages include the full Report and accompanying research study, information about the Task Force members, an outline of our very ambitious research agenda, submissions to the CRTC and related information and links about Canada's cultural diversity.

On behalf of the Task Force for Cultural Diversity on Television, we hope you find this website informative.

Madeline Ziniak	Bev Oda