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Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language

Canadian Documentary Premiere on OMNI.2

Chinese version: April 13th at 7PM ET on OMNI.2
Encore Presentation: at 10PM
English language Version: COMING SOON!

April 9, 2008 - Toronto, ON - Rogers OMNI Television is proud to the present world television premiere of Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language as part of itsLanguage Documentary Specials series. The first of five hour long episodes in this groundbreaking production launches to viewers in the Chinese community on OMNI.2, Sunday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m., with an encore presentation later at 10:00 p.m., and will air weekly thereafter.

A new venture for Syncopated Productions Inc. and characteristically detailed work from its founder, award-winning filmmaker Christene Browne --- the first Black woman to direct and write a dramatic feature film in Canada -- Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language looks at the development of language, how it both sets us apart and unites us, and sheds light on why language has been the key to our survival from prehistoric to present times.

“Worldwide, we currently speak more than 6,000 languages and less than 10 percent of us speak about a quarter of them,” says Ms. Browne, Producer/Director of Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language.“We are who we are thanks to language and I thank OMNI Television for being who they are; their frontline understanding of multiple languages andcultures, and not the least of all their support in making this series possible.”

With a list of some 20 world-renowned experts sharing their insights, including such linguistic heavyweights as Noam Chomsky, John McWhorter, and Peter Ladefoged, Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language unravels the story behind our linguistic diversity along a distinct timeline:

Date	#	Description
April 13	1	Let There Be Words – The evolution of language, theories of origin and definition
April 20	2	Constant Change – Factors contributing to the diversification and spread of language
April 27	3	Mother Tongues – Reviewing the world’s languages and historical backgrounds of some
May 4	4	Civilization to Colonization – The emergence of writing; the role of empires and colonization
May 11	5	Birth and Death – Endangered languages and their preservation, current and future trends

Dr. Hua Lin, Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Victoria, is also consulted in Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language for her special expertise in the structure of Chinese dialects.

“The profound importance of language to our understanding of one another underlies this documentary series and meshes with OMNI’s ongoing belief that ‘language is culture,’ ’’ says Madeline Ziniak, National Vice President of Rogers OMNI Television stations. “We particularly appreciate the language accessibility of Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language and are pleased to launch the Chinese version of this landmark series to a new audience of Canadians.”

The expansion of language into written form, its life cycle, and the countless theories and controversies evoked by language are among the other topics considered by Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language, using footage from around the globe; illustrations and animation, poetry and personal comment. The English version will premiere on OMNI Television at a date to be announced.

Speaking in Tongues: The History of Languagewas exclusively funded through OMNI's Independent Producers Initiative, a $32.5 million independent production fund that to date has supported over 200 new documentary programmes. Interested producers can access funding criteria at OMNI Television’s web site http://www.omnitv.ca/ontario/info/funds .

About Rogers OMNI Television
Rogers OMNI Television is a free over-the-air system consisting of regional broadcasters with the collective mandate to reflect Canada’s diversity through the airing of inclusive and accessible programming: multilingual/multicultural stations OMNI.1 (CFMT) and OMNI.2 (CJMT), along with the recently acquired (April, 2008) channel m in Vancouver BC, and two newly granted (June, 2007) licences for similarly mandated ethnocultural stations in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta; all are owned and operated by Rogers Communications in the Rogers Media division.

About the Producer/Director

Christene Browne has been working as a producer and director for almost 20 years. Her work, including the award-winning Them That’s Not; feature film Another Planetand a number of documentaries, has been screened, broadcast and distributed all over the world to much acclaim. She is currently working on her first novel. Ms. Browne is originally from the island of St. Kitts in the West Indies.

To secure a screening copy of Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language, photos for print or to interview anyone associated with its production please contact:

OMNI-TV Media Contact:
Sandy Zwyer – Programme Information Coordinator, 416-260-3590 sandy.zwyer@rci.rogers.com

Syncopated Productions Inc. Media Contact:
Christene Browne – Producer/Director, 416-531-0857 syncopatedprod@rogers.com