A member of the Order of Canada, Rita Shelton Deverell completes her term in the fall of 2005 as Director of News and Current Affairs for APTN, the world’s first Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Under her leadership APTN National News launched its first daily show in 2002. Deverell demonstrated a special interest in Aboriginal issues during the 1970’s while assigned to CBC Regina’s 24 Hours show. Her concern then was that the Aboriginal population of Regina was significant in numbers, though barely reflected in media. Later, Deverell brought Newsworld, APTN and VisionTV together in 2000 for a 5-hour co-venture on the controversial legacy of Indian residential schools. While at APTN Deverell has used her widely recognized team building and daily show running skills to mentor her Aboriginal successor.

In addition to a demonstrated passion for social justice, Deverell is sought after as an inspiring teacher. In the 1980’s she was a tenured Professor and Acting Director of the University of Regina’s School of Journalism. In 2001-02 she was Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Western Ontario and taught the Diversity Journalism course at Ryerson University. Deverell was founding Chair of the Advisory Board of Canadian Multicultural Radio (CMR). She serves as a member of the Specialty Panel of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) and the CAB’s Joint Awards Committee. She also served on the CAB’s Joint Societal Issues Committee when it commissioned the work of the Task Force on Cultural Diversity.

Rita Deverell is one of the founders of 17-year-old Vision TV, the world’s first and only multi-faith television network. She was part of Vision’s senior management team and regulatory strategic planning from the network’s successful licensing in 1987, through its renewal and award of a subscriber fee in 1992, and most recently in August 2000, successful applications to the CRTC for digital channels.
Updated - May 2008