OTTAWA — Television and film executive Catherine Tait on Tuesday became the first woman to lead Canada’s public broadcaster, promising to tell more local stories about women, indigenous and LGBT people, and immigrants.

Tait, 60, said she would also boost digital access to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) content anywhere and anytime. The broadcaster already reaches Canadians in French and English through television, radio, and online.

"In order for public broadcasters to survive and to flourish, we must focus on the services, news and programming that most connect with our public, not just as one audience, but as many audiences," Tait said.

"This is, after all, the power of digital," she said.

"We also need to reach deep into our shared culture for indigenous peoples to tell their own stories, to tell the stories of the many struggles and triumphs of new Canadians, of women and of the LGBTQ community.

"By being inclusive storytellers, we enrich our collective experience as Canadians and as citizens."

Heritage Minister Melanie Joly introduced Tait to reporters outside parliament, calling her a "champion for Canadian content" during her nearly 30 years in the film and television business.

Tait previously worked at Telefilm Canada -- a public funding body for film production -- was a cultural attache to France, co-founded the Brooklyn film and television company Duopoly, and was president of Salter Street Films, which produced the CBC’s flagship comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Michael Moore’s political documentary Bowling for Columbine.

Her appointment to the CBC for a five-year term comes "at a time of great change in broadcasting and media sectors," said Joly, adding that with fake news and global competition for content Canada more than ever needs its public broadcaster to provide "diverse voices, engaging content and trustworthy sources of news and information."

The CBC also got a new board that, with an injection of more than half a billion dollars from the government, is expected to reverse the downsizing of the previous Tory administration. — AFP