TLN Media Group Unveils New Canadian TV Specials:
“Speaking Freely” with
Dr. Rafael Gomez

Sundays at 8P/et on TLN TV – Starts April 24th

A TLN Media Group commissioned series of TV specials entitled Speaking Freely will air Sundays at 8P/et starting April 24th on TLN TV.

The series of one-hour specials is hosted by Dr. Rafael Gomez, Professor of Employment Relations at the University of Toronto, and produced by Render Media at the TLN Media Group Studios in Toronto’s Columbus Centre, with additional contributions from guests across Canada.

Speaking Freely represents our serious side. “As an independent immigrant-owned media company operating in a Canadian media environment dominated by giant concerns, we believe we have a public duty to our multicultural communities and the Canadian public at large to use our channels to advance public discourse of fundamental issues. Our democratic values and future depend on it, and Dr. Gomez is the ideal protagonist. He is decidedly respectful, evidence-based and uncompromising when it comes to uncovering the truth.”  TLN Media Group President, Aldo Di Felice

“It is no secret that the rigid adherence to establishment narratives and the shunning of dissident and heterodox viewpoints from the left and right, is driving the growth of alternative online programming. Digital formats and platforms are creating massive audiences for independent journalists and hosts.  Nonetheless, I believe that there is still an audience for a legacy news product that bucks the current corporate consensus and provides honest and intelligent discussion in the tradition of past shows of the 1970’s and 1980’s like the Shulman Files and Firing Line. Speaking Freely, seeks to fill a gap. It brings a modern sensibility to the current affairs format with entertaining debate that does not shy away from asking tough questions and provides a platform for voices rarely heard in mainstream media.”  Dr. Rafael Gomez, Professor of Employment Relations at the University of Toronto

Speaking Freely examines the past, present and future of Canadian democracy and our multicultural society. Where have we come from, where are we now and where are we going? To address these questions, we interview regular citizens and experts who are willing to speak freely about the issues that matter to Canadians.

Episode topics follow:
“Is The Media Becoming the Message? – Has traditional media lost its relevance for most Canadians and does the rise of independent journalism point to a brighter future?

“Who Stands on Guard for Thee?” –  In 1961, a young Canadian hero named Frances Oldham Kelsey stopped the approval of Thalidomide in the US saving thousands of lives…in Canada, however, we allowed pregnant women to take the drug. Have we learned anything since then?

“Are We Running Roughshod Over Democracy?”- How well have Canada’s democratic institutions held up during the past two years? Has the pandemic provided a convenient cover for the weakening of voter accountability and public voice?

“Never Say Never Again – The History of Internment in Canada” – As we witness the awful scenes of war and displacement in the Ukraine, did you know that during WWI Canada interned around 80,000 people, mostly Ukrainian Canadians under the authority of the War Measures Act. Many were also obliged to register as “enemy aliens” during the war. The same thing happened again during WWII to Japanese, Italian and Jewish Canadians of German descent. Who’s to say it can’t happen again?

“Inflation Nation – Is Inflation Out of Control in Canada?” – Less than a year ago we were being told by government officials that the problem with our economy was the threat of deflation. Now that gas is approaching 2 dollars a litre, housing prices are through the roof across the country, and food prices skyrocketing, does anyone doubt that we are in an inflation spiral?

“Canada’s Covid Exit Strategy  – What Can Be Learned from the Past Two Years?” – The pandemic began with a simple catch phrase – “two weeks to flatten the curve”. Two years later we ask the question, have decision makers learned anything about how to handle the next public health crisis?

For more information, contact: Bruna Aloe | Senior Director, Communications & Marketing | 416.744.5745 | [email protected]

About Dr. Rafael Gomez
Rafael Gomez is a Full Professor of Employment Relations in Human Resources at the University of Toronto. Many of you may know Rafael from his many publications. Others may have seen or heard him in the media as he has been a frequent guest on radio, TV and other media. Prof. Gomez received his Bachelors in Economics and Political Science from Glendon College, a Masters in Economics and a PhD in Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto. He went on to teach at the London School of Economics and has held Visiting appointments internationally at Moscow State University, University of Munich, University of Zurich, the Central Bank of Spain among others. He returned to the University of Toronto as Associate Professor in 2009 and as Full Professor in 2020. Prof. Gomez’s many research interests include small-scale entrepreneurship, worker preferences for workplace representation and the effect of demographic change on labour markets and economic institutions. He has co-authored and co-edited 4 books and over 70 articles and chapters in prestigious academic publications. In 2013 his book The Little Black Book for Managers was published by Wiley and became a UK business book bestseller. In 2015 his book Small Business and City: The Transformative Potential of Small-Scale Entrepreneurship was published by Rotman-UTP press and in 2019 his book The Everyday Leader was published by Bloomsbury Press.

About TLN Media Group
Nearing 40 years of service to Canadians, the TLN Media Group organization brands continue to inform and entertain millions. Whether in Italian, Spanish, English and other languages, TLN has played a key role in the development of the national multicultural media landscape.  Since launching in 1984, the original ethnic TV channel “Telelatino” has grown to become TLN Media Group, Canada’s most influential multicultural media company. TLN Media Group is an independent, immigrant-owned organization dedicated to connecting communities through storytelling and shared experiences. As a multicultural advocacy leader, TLN Media Group selects, curates, produces, and commissions unique and culturally significant TV and digital content distributed in Canada and worldwide.  TLN TV, the original flagship channel has evolved into a mainstream-friendly destination providing multiculturally rich content. TLN Media Group also operates Canada’s most widely available multilingual TV channels led by Spanish language leader Univision Canada and top Italian language services Mediaset Italia Canada and TGCOM24 news network. And TLN Media Group’s additional TV channels include Canada’s first and only Heritage language channels for kids, Telebimbi (Italian) and Teleniños (Spanish), bringing well-known Canadian-made kids shows to families nationwide; and EuroWorld Sport TV, a channel dedicated to sports fandom. TLN Media Group has produced and promoted many cultural events and festivals, the most widely recognized of which is the annual TD Salsa in Toronto/Salsa on St Clair summer festival and street party.

About Render Media
Render Media in an Award-Winning Video Agency that has been engaging audiences through video, digital media, and experiences, since 2008. Along with full-service video production capabilities, Render Media has a wide array of digital products and services for Marketing, Advertising, and Communications. Through its divisions Render Cast and Render Docs, Render Media also produces world class Live Webcasting, Virtual Events, Vlog Series, Video Podcasts, Talk Shows, Documentaries, Docu-Series, and Factual TV Series.