NITV - Programs and Schedules

TV.Cynic · April 17, 2023, 8:57am

Natalie Ahmat announced as Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs at NITV

National Indigenous Television (NITV) has announced the appointment of Mudburra and Wagadagam woman, Natalie Ahmat, as its Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs.

In the role, the award-winning journalist, producer and presenter leads the editorial direction and oversees the output of NITV’s distinctive daily news, its current affairs line-up including weekly show The Point and the long-running Living Black, and news coverage of special events.

Natalie joined NITV in 2008 as a member of its inaugural news team and has been at the forefront of reporting news and events from a First Nations perspective in the Australian media. As the long-time anchor of NITV News, Australia’s only dedicated First Nations national news bulletin, and weekly news review program show Nula, Natalie has reported and broadcast from communities across the continent over more than 15 years. She has also presented live coverage of a range of significant national events, including NITV’s rolling coverage on January 26 each year, and from on the ground in northeast Arnhem Land for the annual Garma Festival, in addition to her extensive work behind the camera as a producer and senior member of NITV’s news and current affairs team.

General Manager of NITV, Peter Noble, a Girramay and Bandjin man, said: “Nat is one of Australia’s most experienced Indigenous affairs journalists, trusted by communities to tell their stories. She’s passionate about exploring issues through a First Nations lens and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the stories that matter for all Australians. Her determination and dedication to the work she does is underpinned by a wonderful warmth that sees her connect with people in a unique way, whether on Country, on screen, or in the newsroom. We’re thrilled to have Nat leading the team, and at such an important time in the national conversation.”

On her appointment, Natalie added: “NITV’s news and current affairs play a vital role in providing a platform for First Nations voices to be heard. There are so many wonderful stories of the people and places of this country that we have unique access to and are privileged to share, along with the trust of communities to shine a light on issues and explore them with nuance and understanding unlike any other broadcaster. I’m proud to have the opportunity to work with the incredibly talented news and current affairs team at NITV, as we continue to amplify and elevate these stories, at a time when we know the importance of ensuring Australians are listening.”

Natalie will continue to maintain an on-air presence on Nula and across special events coverage.

TV.Cynic · April 28, 2023, 10:37pm

Duckrockers

From Friday 12 May 7:30 PM

Duckrockers is the coming-of-age story of five young Pasifika teenagers living in inner-city Auckland during the mid-1980s. The cast includes Augustino Nansen Ieremia-Seulu, Duane Evans Jr., Levi Nansen Ieremia-Seulu, Dallas Latogia Malo Halavaka, and Lilo Vaigafa.

Duckrockers is the prequel to the smash-hit movie Sione’s Wedding, which will be available on SBS On Demand from May 5.

TV.Cynic · May 12, 2023, 2:36am

NITV to broadcast Australia Council’s First Nations Arts and Culture Awards on Saturday 27 May

The awards celebrate established and emerging First Nations artists and recognise their significant contribution to Australian art and culture

National Indigenous Television (NITV) and Australia Council are proud to announce the broadcast of the 2023 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards, airing Saturday 27 May at 7.30pm and available to stream on SBS On Demand. The awards celebrate established and emerging First Nations artists and recognise their significant contribution to Australian art and culture.

The broadcast will mark the beginning of Reconciliation Week on the anniversary of the 1967 referendum, with NITV to air a variety of relevant Reconciliation Week programming from 27 May to 3 June 2023.

The annual First Nations Arts and Culture Awards will feature the following categories:

The Red Ochre Award, which pays tribute to a senior Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person for their outstanding lifetime achievement in the arts and their contribution to the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts culture and community, both nationally and internationally.

The Dreaming Award, which supports inspirational young First Nations artists aged 18-30 years to create a major body of work through mentoring and partnerships.

The First Nations Emerging Career Development Award, which is available to artists and arts workers in all disciplines including dance, cross arts, literature, poetry, visual arts, theatre, music and community arts.

The First Nations Fellowship, which supports an outstanding, established artist and arts workers’ activity and professional development for a period of up to two years.

Three First Nations recipients of Australia Council Fellowships, which also supports professional development for a period of two years.

The awards will be hosted by Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke (The Point, Sunset Ceremony) and Jerrinja and Wandi Wandiaan woman Shahni Wellington (Big Mob Brekky).

Head of Entertainment, Events and Sport, NITV and proud Gooreng Gooreng man, Adam Manovic, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Australia Council again this year, to celebrate black excellence in the arts. Art is such a pivotal element of our First Nations cultures. We encourage audiences to tune in and engage with this celebratory and important event.”

Franchesca Cubillo, Executive Director, First Nations Arts and Culture, Australia Council for the Arts, said: “The First Nations Arts and Culture Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding work and achievements of First Nations artists, and in this, the 50th year of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, we deeply appreciate the support of NITV in once again elevating the work of First Nations creatives at a national level.”

The First Nations Arts and Culture Awards 2023 airs on NITV on Saturday 27 May at 7.30pm and will be available to stream free on SBS On Demand, live and on catch up.

TV.Cynic · May 17, 2023, 10:25pm

The Furnace

Saturday 27 May 9:30 PM

1897 Western Australia. To escape a harsh existence and return home, a young Afghan cameleer partners with a mysterious bushman on the run with two 400oz Crown-marked gold bars.

Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace - the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.

The Furnace is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land. The film illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and Persia, who opened up the Nation’s desert interior, thereby forming unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.

Servant or Slave

Sunday 28 May 7:30 PM

Servant Or Slave is an emotional and confronting insight into the history and legacy of the domestic servitude enforced upon Aboriginal girls in Australia, told through the stories of five women.

Many thousands of girls were stolen as young children from their parents and placed in institutions, to be trained as servants who could be assimilated into mainstream Australian society.

Rita Wright, Violet West, and the Wenberg sisters Adelaide, Valerie (Linow) and Rita, are captivating when sharing their life stories. Their firsthand accounts of officially sanctioned enslavement reveal the true intent of the government policy of ‘protection’ prevalent throughout the 20th century.

Rita, Violet, and the Wenberg sisters endured estrangement from their families and immense hardship and were coerced into remaining silent or even punished for reporting mistreatment to the local police or institutional authorities. With the government exercising complete control over their wages, many young First Nations people were effectively condemned to a treadmill of abuse, from which there was little hope of escape.

JohnsonTV · May 21, 2023, 10:55pm

TV.Cynic · May 24, 2023, 6:08am

The First Inventors premieres on NITV and Network 10, Thursday 15 June at 8.30pm

The four-part series uncovers ancient traditional knowledge and insights, which could help navigate some of the biggest challenges of our time.

JohnsonTV · June 1, 2023, 11:23am

(Wavemaker) is spread the message with a media campaign that includes a 20% budget allocation to SBS-owned NITV free-to-air channel, which broadcasts programming produced and presented largely by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Through a long-form content series with NITV, Palmolive is sharing the stories of three First Nations growers – Dominic Smith, Auntie Pat Torres and Dan Newchurch – shining a light on their native Australian ingredients, traditional agricultural practices and connection to land.

The Palmolive Skin Food 3-minute spots will air during Yokayi Footy programming across NAIDOC Week 2-9 July.

TV.Cynic · June 29, 2023, 9:27am

NITV and Yothu Yindi Foundation sign three-year Garma Festival deal

The Yothu Yindi Foundation (YYF) and National Indigenous Television (NITV) are delighted to announce the signing of a three-year partnership that will see the broadcaster extend its support of the Garma Festival through until the end of 2025.

Welcoming the agreement, YYF CEO and Garma Festival Director Denise Bowden said NITV had played an important role in sharing the Garma experience with its audiences over many years.

“NITV have been long-standing Media Supporters of the Festival for a decade, and this three-year deal strengthens the foundations of that partnership for the future,” she said.

“Throughout that time, NITV and SBS have really grown and built on their Garma coverage, and that’s reflected in the depth of their programming this year.

“We’re excited to continue working together to reach even wider and more diverse audiences.”

Tanya Denning-Orman, proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and SBS Director of Indigenous Content, said: “We’re proud to be expanding our commitment to Garma through this new three-year partnership with the Yothu Yindi Foundation, that will see us deliver more coverage across NITV, and also the wider SBS network.

“It extends a long-standing relationship with NITV ensuring mob right around the country have access to the culture, ceremony and critical conversations, while also building on SBS’s unique multilingual coverage, bringing all the news and action from the event to multicultural communities across Australia.

“We cannot wait to get back to Gulkula in August to deliver our most comprehensive coverage of the festival yet.

“We’ll not only have NITV and SBS News teams reporting and broadcasting live, we’ll be reporting on the key moments and giving Australians unique insights through multilingual coverage, including from representatives of SBS’s Hindi and Mandarin teams on the ground.

“We’ll also broadcast a special episode of The Point from Garma as the current affairs show continues on its Referendum Road Trip to elevate community voices and perspectives across the continent.”

The 23rd annual Garma Festival will take place at Gulkula in northeast Arnhem Land between 4-7 August.

For more information on NITV and SBS’s coverage and broadcast schedule from Garma, keep an eye out on the NITV website, as well as on Instagram and Facebook, check out SBS News or listen via SBS Audio.

TV.Cynic · July 7, 2023, 12:08am

From 10 and NITV

TV.Cynic · July 12, 2023, 9:40am

Night

Sunday 23 July 10:15 PM

Combining beautiful and arresting images with a lush symphonic score, Night is a stunning cinematic event, which celebrates the wondrous world at night.

TV.Cynic · July 19, 2023, 3:07am

NITV welcomes Taryne Laffar as Commissioning Editor

Taryne Laffar

National Indigenous Television (NITV) has announced the appointment of Taryne Laffar as Commissioning Editor to support the delivery of the channel’s award-winning content.

Laffar, who descends from the Bardi and Jabbir Jabbir nations in the West Kimberley, has more than 15 years’ experience in the Australian screen industry as a writer, producer, director and in casting. She joins NITV from PiNK PEPPER, a Western Australian First Nations and female-owned production company she started in 2020, specialising in developing and producing Indigenous-led screen content.

Among the many credits she brings to the role are NITV documentary series Our Law, which provided insight into the frontline of policing in Western Australia with unique access to Indigenous officers, recruits and cadets attempting to change the system from within; NITV’s short documentary series initiative Our Stories; and NITV food series On Country Kitchen.

As Commissioning Editor, Laffar will oversee the development and delivery of NITV’s diverse slate of commissioned content reflecting, celebrating and exploring First Nations stories, across documentaries, drama, entertainment, and children’s programming.

Her appointment comes in a year when NITV is delivering its biggest ever original content line-up, including the recent broadcast of the successful NITV co-commission with Network 10, documentary series The First Inventors; and the channel’s latest ground-breaking children’s show, Barrumbi Kids, picking up award wins and nominations including for Most Outstanding Children’s Program at the upcoming TV Week Logie Awards.

Marissa McDowell, Head of Commissions at NITV, said “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Taryne to the team, bringing her extensive experience, creativity, and passion for authentic First Nations storytelling. Taryne is dedicated to creating powerful stories by and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and she’ll be a fantastic asset to our commissioning team. We’re excited to have her on board.”

Taryne Laffar added: “After working as an independent producer and arts worker or manager for my entire working life I am very excited to be joining the NITV Commissioning Editor team.

“Being chosen to work with First Nations producers and creators around the continent in bringing their stories to Australian free to air television is a profound privilege. The fact that NITV also invests in building and championing First Nations talent across the screen sector for me personally demonstrates the matriarchal values of where I come from and who I now am. My selection to this new role is a deep-rooted dedication to the deadly black women of my flesh and bones - my mother Carla Laffar, her mother Bridgette Buckeridge, and her mother Josephine Hunter (all RIP) and my daughters Koda and Fenix and my Mim (Grand-daughter) Mila Grey.”

Laffar commences in the role from today, Wednesday 19 July.

TV.Cynic · July 31, 2023, 10:33pm

NITV will lead comprehensive coverage of the Garma Festival across SBS in a landmark year for Indigenous news and current affairs

Nat Ahmat, Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs at NITV, presenting coverage of the Garma Festival

NITV will broadcast live coverage from across the festival in Gulkula, Gumatj Country, in North East Arnhem Land from Friday 4 to Monday 7 August, with more news and multilingual coverage available across the SBS network.

NITV and SBS will simulcast live panels and keynote speeches, including the Prime Minister’s address on Saturday 5 August.

Special coverage from across the festival will also connect Australians with the celebration of Yolŋu culture and ceremony, including live broadcast of the traditional buŋgul.

A one-hour NITV News: Garma wrap show premieres on NITV on Monday 7 August at 7.30pm.

The Point: Referendum Road Trip returns to NITV on Tuesday 8 August at 7.30pm, simulcast on SBS, with a special episode recorded from the festival.

NITV is proud to be an official Media Supporter of the Garma Festival again in 2023, and recently announced a three-year extension of the long-running partnership.

National Indigenous Television (NITV) will deliver its most comprehensive coverage yet of the four-day premier Indigenous event, the 23rd annual Garma Festival, held in Gulkula, North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory from 4-7 August, during this once-in-a-generation Referendum year.

In addition to daily live coverage, updates and highlights across NITV’s platforms, SBS will simulcast key events, SBS News will be reporting from the festival, and SBS will also provide unique multilingual coverage including from representatives of SBS’s Hindi and Mandarin teams on the ground this year.

Each year, the Yothu Yindi Foundation brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, non-Indigenous Australians and international visitors, incorporating visual art, ancient storytelling, craft, dance and music, as well as economic, education, governance and youth forums.

Over four days, the festival provides a platform for discussion and debate of issues affecting Yolŋu and other Indigenous Australians, with forums, panels, keynote addresses and cultural workshops, alongside traditional miny’tji (art), manikay (song), buŋgul (dance) and storytelling.

Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, said the network is proud to share this special event with all Australians through expanded coverage.

“The conversations at Garma are critical to the national conversation, and this year, more than ever, Australia will be watching as the nation prepares to vote in a Referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

“We’re proud to provide distinctive coverage that captures and connects all Australians with the culture and ceremony, alongside news and current affairs on NITV – and across the SBS network – that will keep all Australians informed of the latest updates and insights from the four-day festival.

“NITV has a long-standing relationship with the Yothu Yindi Foundation, and we can’t wait to be up in Gulkula once again, delivering more than ever before for mob and all audiences across the content, at this critical time.

“Of course this year, we will also come together at the festival to reflect and celebrate the legacy of revered Yolŋu Elder, leader of the Gumatj clan and trailblazer Yunupingu, who dedicated his life to the land rights movement and improving the lives of his people.”

The 2023 NITV broadcast, led by NITV’s Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs, Natalie Ahmat, will deliver breaking news, capture debate, speeches, discussions, arts, culture, and analysis across the four days of the festival. NITV will meet with business leaders, political figures, thought leaders, academics, and journalists during the festival.

NITV’s Indigenous News and Current Affairs team will be on the road in North East Arnhem Land, bringing audiences Yolŋu stories from the Top End. Nulawill broadcast live from Garma on NITV on Friday, 4 August from 3pm, followed by the official opening ceremony at 4.30pm, with both simulcast on SBS.

In addition, NITV’s flagship news and current affairs program The Point: Referendum Road Trip will present a special Garma episode, premiering on Tuesday, 8 August at 7.30pm and simulcast on SBS, hosted by John Paul Janke and Narelda Jacobs.

SBS News will also be on the ground, providing updates on SBS World News each night of the festival, alongside coverage across its platforms.

SBS’s unique multilingual coverage will bring all the news and action from the event to multicultural communities across Australia, with reporters from SBS Hindi and SBS Mandarin also attending Garma to deliver coverage across the SBS Audio network.

Last month, the Yothu Yindi Foundation (YYF) and NITV announced the signing of a three-year partnership that will see NITV extend its support of the Garma Festival through until the end of 2025.

NITV and the SBS network’s comprehensive coverage schedule includes:

NITV News: Nula
Friday 4 August at 3pm on NITV and SBS.
Watch a special, live edition of Nula from the 23rd Garma Festival at Gulkula, a significant Yolŋu ceremonial site in North East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

Garma Opening Ceremony
Friday 4 August at 4.30pm on NITV and SBS.
NITV brings you the sounds, speeches and culture of the opening ceremony of the Garma Festival, live from Gulkula, in North East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

Garma Forums:
Watch all of the key forums live from Garma Festival in the Northern Territory. Saturday morning includes a keynote address from the Australian Prime Minister, The Hon Anthony Albanese.

Day 1, Morning Sessions
Saturday 5 August at 9am on NITV and SBS.
Day 1, Afternoon Sessions
Saturday 5 August at 1.30pm on NITV.
Day 2, Morning Sessions
Sunday 6 August at 9am on NITV and SBS.

Garma Buŋgul
Saturday 5 August and Sunday 6 at 6.30pm on NITV.
Take in the graceful movement of the women and the strong songs of the men at the buŋgul, a Yolŋu cultural ceremony with over sixty thousand years of connection to Country.

NITV News: Garma
Monday 7 August at 7.30pm on NITV.
An hour-long recap of highlights from Garma Festival, held in North East Arnhem Land. Hosted by Natalie Ahmat and NITV’s Indigenous News and Current Affairs team, the program will include all of the key moments from the weekend of celebration and reflection.

The Point: Referendum Road Trip
Tuesday 8 August at 7.30pm on NITV and SBS.
This special episode of The Point: Referendum Road Trip will be recorded at Garma Festival. Hosted by proud Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke and Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs, The Point is the home of First Nations perspectives, informing all Australians in the lead up to the Referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. This season, The Point travels throughout Australia to share voices from communities, engage in debate and provide insightful analysis about the Referendum.

JohnsonTV · August 2, 2023, 10:21am

The National Indigenous Music Awards 2023 will air on Sunday, August 13 at 7.30pm on NITV, with repeat telecasts on SBS Viceland and SBS.

The awards will be held on Saturday night, August 12 as part of Darwin Festival. Tickets available here

TV.Cynic · August 11, 2023, 3:46am

Mark Coles Smith’s powerful documentary Keeping Hope to premiere on NITV and SBS On Demand

Watch 8.40pm on Sunday 10 September, World Suicide Prevention Say - followed by an encore on SBS on 13 September at 8.30pm.

“Suicide in Indigenous communities is now at epidemic proportions and it’s something we must talk about” - Mark Coles Smith

The Kimberley region in Australia’s far northwest has one of the highest suicide rates in the country[1], with the vast majority being young Indigenous men[2].

Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin, The Clearing, Savage River), a proud Nyikina man and actor who grew up in the Kimberley, returns to interrogate these alarming suicide statistics and meet remarkable people making a real difference in its prevention in Keeping Hope – a special one-hour documentary premiering Sunday 10 September at 8.40pm on NITV and SBS On Demand, on World Suicide Prevention Day.

This is a subject close to Mark’s heart – his best friend tragically took his own life when they were in their 20s. Keeping Hope follows his intensely personal search for answers and, hopefully, solutions.

On his journey, Mark travels across the Kimberley to some of the areas experiencing the highest suicide rates and speaks with professionals, community leaders and his own family to explore what’s being done in communities, and what is still needed. He also faces up to his own loss and questions how others can learn from it.

Mark Coles Smith said: “People who die young are frozen in time. With those who take their own lives, it’s difficult to properly celebrate their lives because when talking about them, feelings of guilt and remorse inevitably arise. They become statistics and painful memories.

“Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have experienced the impacts of suicide in some way*. Keeping Hope* will ignite timely and critical conversations about suicide in Australia and what we want to change in the future.”

Marissa McDowell, a proud Wiradyuri woman and Head of Commissions at NITV, said: “A huge thank you to Mark Coles Smith for sharing his intimate and deeply personal experience with suicide, with a view to help others. Thisvital documentary explores community-led programs that are working in the Kimberley. We encourage all Australians to watch and learn from Keeping Hope, and we are grateful for the support of the production team, Joined Up Films, Screen Australia, Screenwest and Lotterywest in shedding light on this ongoing epidemic, with an optimistic future outlook.“

Alex West, Screen Australia’s Head of Documentary said: “Audiences should tune in and watch Keeping Hope as Mark Coles Smith takes viewers on a moving journey, courageously confronting the devastating impact of suicide in Indigenous communities. Through his personal experience and insightful conversations, this documentary not only raises awareness about an urgent issue but also offers hope by showcasing community-led initiatives and the resilience of those working towards change. Keeping Hope invites viewers to be part of a dialogue that can inspire understanding, empathy, and ultimately, meaningful action.”

Devina McPherson, Screenwest Indigenous Executive said: “Screenwest is proud to support Keeping Hope – an important and vital story for all Australians. We’re grateful to Mark Coles Smith, Director Tyson Mowarin and the producers for creating a beautiful documentary with hope and optimism, about such a heartbreaking and devastating reality affecting so many of us, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Congratulations to the entire team for their courage.”

Director Tyson Mowarin, said: “In directing this documentary I wanted to explore why youth in these communities are taking their lives and what we may be missing. Mark connects with people, sits with them and yarns with them informally.

“Shooting this story beautifully was also very important; the other important element was sound. We wanted to capture the sounds of Country, and of people; families and children doing everyday activities.”

Keeping Hope is a Joined Up Films production for NITV. Principal production investment from Screen Australia in association with Screenwest and Lotterywest.

Watch Keeping Hope on Sunday 10 September at 8.40pm on NITV and on SBS on Wednesday September 13 at 8.30pm. Keeping Hope will also be available to stream for free on SBS On Demand, with captions available in English and subtitles in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.

JohnsonTV · August 28, 2023, 12:08am

NRMA Insurance leads the way in support of the Beyond 3% initiative

Jasmine Sarin

NRMA Insurance announces landmark partnership with NITV as it commits 3% of its broadcast media spend to First Nations media over the next year

NRMA Insurance and National Indigenous Television (NITV), part of the SBS network, today announced a new partnership which marks the largest advertising investment by a single commercial brand in the First Nations broadcaster.

The partnership forms part of NRMA Insurance’s support of the Beyond 3% initiative, as it prepares to commit 3% of its broadcast media spend* to First Nations media over the next year, which is planned and bought via Initiative Media.

The NITV partnership consists of a series of integrated initiatives including its recent broadcast sponsorship of NITV’s coverage of the 2023 Garma Festival, NITV’s broadcast of its popular series Going Places with Ernie Dingo, and investment in the creation of a special short-form content series for NITV.

“This is an important moment for NITV,” said Peter Noble, a proud Bandjin and Girramay man and General Manager of NITV. “This partnership represents a substantial investment in NITV which supports our ability to invest more in creating First Nations stories.

“NRMA Insurance is leading the way, both in terms of lifting its investment in First Nations media and also in developing creative that drives conversations around Place and Country and the importance of all Australians in understanding the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live across the continent.”

With a focus on ‘Connecting with Country’, the new short-form content series to be made by NITV will profile the First Nations artists behind NRMA Insurance’s existing billboard campaign. Launched in 2019, the billboards feature work by Indigenous artists and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country across Australia. Through this outdoor campaign, NRMA Insurance aims to help drivers connect with the land and contribute to a proud and shared national identity, while reminding everyone to drive safely.

The special NITV content series will provide these artists and storytellers an opportunity to share the importance of their unique culture and communities, as well as the full impact and significance of recognising their connection to Place and how this links to cultural identity.

NRMA Insurance CEO Julie Batch said: “In 2013, through our parent company IAG, we were the first major insurer to introduce a Reconciliation Action Plan and we’re immensely proud to partner with NITV and other First Nations media.

“Through our partnership with NITV we want to help build cultural understanding and connection through powerful storytelling and we look forward to working with NITV to bring these important stories to life.”

In addition to its partnership with NITV, NRMA Insurance has committed to invest in other First Nations media and artists, as well as to continue its partnership with the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-op which commenced in 2017.

The artwork of Jasmine Sarin, a proud Kamilaroi and Jerrinja woman from NSW, has been part of the NRMA Insurance billboard campaign and she will also feature in the NITV content series.

Ms Sarin said: “It’s an incredible opportunity from NRMA Insurance to have my artwork on display in such a public space and to build on this through a content series with NITV. I am so proud to be able to use my artwork as both a reminder and a conversation starter about First Nations recognition and our unceded and deep-rooted connection to country”.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent 3.2% of the Australian population, however, the media that exists to serve these communities are not often considered as part of advertising campaign planning. Two years ago, NITV launched The Beyond 3% Initiative which seeks to engage media agencies and brands to begin to address this gap by committing to increasing investment in Indigenous media platforms to at least a 3% target.

Ms Batch continued: “By increasing our investment in First Nations media we can help contribute to the strength of this sector and support the next generation of Indigenous talent in the Australian media industry.”

NITV is proudly one of many media services across Australia providing a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and a place for their stories to be shared, explored and celebrated.

*Broadcast media spend includes TV, radio, outdoor, newspapers, magazines, direct mail and cinema.

parano1a · September 16, 2023, 12:33am

NITV are showing all three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990s movies back-to-back today.
Good movies but not sure how this content fits their charter of indigenous programming?

yellow_sock · September 16, 2023, 12:44am

They aired all three Ninja Turtle movies last night (in primetime too). I hadn’t realised that they were repeated now, but there you go.

They have been airing non-indigenous movies for some time now on - mostly on Friday nights - including The Flintstones Movie, Thunderbirds Movies etc. Surely these sorts of movies can go on The Movie Channel or on Viceland, rather than on NITV. Odd scheduling.

Is there limited programming to fill the channel 24/7?

TV.Cynic · October 18, 2023, 5:24am

Katele (Mudskipper)

Thursday 2 November 9:30 PM

Winner of Best Australian Short at 2023 Melbourne International Film Festival and Best Australian Film at 2023 Flickerfest. Part of NITV and Screen Australia’s No Ordinary Black short film initiative.

Torres Strait Islander woman Martha works tirelessly in a laundromat loading machines and folding washing, ready for the collection of her boss. When a mysterious visitor arrives, Martha is reminded of the life she left behind.

Directed by John Harvey, written by Walter Waia and produced by Gillian Moody.

JohnsonTV · October 24, 2023, 10:04am

Her Name is Nanny Nellie, which has received production funding from NITV, will air on the channel in 2024. It will screen at Palace Nova Eastend this Sunday (October 29) at 11.30am as part of Adelaide Film Festival.

TV.Cynic · October 25, 2023, 3:28am

Powerful feature-length documentary Audrey Napanangka premieres on NITV on Sunday 12 November at 8.30pm

> National Indigenous Television (NITV) is proud to announce the premiere of feature-length, intimate and expansive documentary Audrey Napanangka on Sunday 12 November at 8.30pm.

Filmed over 10 years, the program tells the story of Warlpiri matriarch, artist and actor Audrey and her Sicilian partner Santo as they navigate through colonial systems to keep the children they care for together in the Central Australian Desert.

Audrey was born at a time when the world was changing for people in Central Australia. Colonisation fused two worlds together, modifying Audrey’s life forever. Today, as a grandmother and great grandmother, Audrey raises young people with her partner Santo, to walk in many worlds, by centering culture, language, and Law in their lives alongside mainstream education.

The intimate documentary showcases a heartwarming story about the power of kinship and family and is made on the lands of the Arrernte people of Mparntwe, the Warlpiri people of Mount Theo and Yuendumu, and the lands of the Anmatyerr people.

Documentary subject and collaborator Audrey Napanangka, said: “I am happy to share my story so that people can learn about my life. For me family is everything.”

NITV Head of Commissions, Marissa McDowell, said: “We are thrilled to share this powerful documentary with audiences, delving into Audrey’s philosophy that family and love are everything. We learn about Audrey’s cultural obligations and see that life is not always easy for Audrey and those around her, but family and love prevail.”

Audrey Napanangka is produced by Penelope McDonald (Robbie Hood), Trisha Morton-Thomas (History Bites Back, Occupation: Native) and Rachel Clements (History Bites Back, Occupation: Native, Finke: There and Back).

Screen Australia Head of Documentary, Alex West, said: “Ten years of dedication and heart have brought us the incredible journey of Audrey Napanangka. This remarkable documentary showcases the enduring power of kinship and family in the face of adversity. Audrey’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of embracing culture, language, and love.”

Director and co-producer, Penelope McDonald of Chili Films, said: “It has been a great privilege to have walked beside Audrey over many years as we created this documentary. This is a story of love, courage, and resilience, of an extraordinary family, recorded over a decade, across generations. I thank Audrey and her family immensely for opening their home and sharing their lives. This story from the centre, the beating heart of Australia, is more important and relevant to us now than ever.”

Screen Territory Director Jennie Hughes, said: “We are proud supporters of Indigenous storytelling. It is vital that we continue to support our Territorian filmmakers and the development of documentaries such as Audrey Napanangka, bringing powerful and diverse Territory stories to Australian audiences .”

Au drey Napanangka is a Chili Films/Brindle Films production for NITV. Principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with Screen Territory.

Watch Audrey Napanangka on NITV on Sunday 12 November at 8.30pm. The documentary will be available to stream for free on SBS On Demand with captions in English and subtitles in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Korean. It will also be available with audio description for blind and low vision audiences.