IBC announces Distinguished Panel of Media Centre Advisors

Inuit Broadcasting Corporation  President Madeline d'Argencourt today announced the names of the Advisory Committee members hand-picked to steer IBC's fundraising for construction of the Nunavut Media Arts Centre. Team members include the President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, a Senator, a former Nunavut Commissioner, a former Vice President of the Royal Bank of Canada, , and other business, cultural and political leaders.

Members of the Advisory Committee are:

· Anne Mikijuk Hansen, former Commissioner of Nunavut, actress, broadcaster and journalist;

· Charles Coffey, former Vice President of the Royal Bank of Canada, current director on the Board of the Trillium Foundation);

· Okalik Eegeesiak, President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association; former President of Canada’s national Inuit organization, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami;

· Andre Bureau, former Chairperson of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, currently Chair of Astral, one of Canada's largest media networks.

· Christy Sinclair, former Senior Director at Canadian North/Norterra, Current business owner

· The Honourable Dennis Patterson, Senator and former Premier of the Northwest Territories.

"It's wonderful, but it's a bit humbling," said Ms. d'Argencourt. "We all know how important our language and our culture are, and we all know how hard IBC has fought for the last thirty years to preserve and promote them. But it's overwhelming to see this much support from industry and political leadership. It really does speak to the urgency of this project."

The Advisory Committee will support IBC’s building campaign for the first full-scale, state-of-the-art, digital audio, video, recording, performance and post production facilities in Nunavut. The Centre, scheduled for completion during the summer of 2013, has drawn wide interest and support from Nunavut's cultural community. By providing full-spectrum digital, high definition studio and editing facilities, it will attract local and territorial freelancers, small to medium production companies, and other broadcasters – both Canadian and international – to work in Nunavut, creating opportunities for Nunavut talent.

The building lot is located on Inuit-owned land provided by the Qikiqtani Inuit Association in the core of the business and government district of Iqaluit, minutes away from the Legislative Assembly. IBC will be launching a fundraising Building Campaign and website this summer.