User:Papulkas

OMNI reaches 90% of Ontario and broadcasts 60% of its programming in more than 44 languages to ethnospecific communities encompassing more than 18 cultures. The driving force behind the creation of most of the language programmes currently airing on OMNI-TV’s multilingual, multicultural schedule is Stanley A. Papulkas.

Mr. Papulkas began with OMNI in 1986 as Producer/Director for third language news and information programmes. In 1990, he was promoted to Senior Producer, Prime Ethnic and Diversity Language Programmes, with full responsibility for managing and developing that area. Towards this end he created: TV Korea, Wai Wai Wide (Japanese), Svitohliad (Ukrainian), South Asian Newsweek, Rozmaitosci (Polish) and Edo Kai Tora (Greek).

In the Spring of 1999, Mr. Papulkas was appointed Executive Producer as a reflection of the station’s integrated development of programme production. In 2008, Mr. Papulkas was promoted to Vice President of Production in Alberta where he helped launch OMNI Television stations in Edmonton and Calgary. His current responsibilities build on his ongoing language programming expertise and combine working with production personnel.

Throughout his career with OMNI, Mr. Papulkas has been instrumental to the creation and development of many other programmes, including: The Veggie Table, OMNI’s a South Asian vegetarian cooking show; Chronicle, a pilot television series successfully adapted from radio and purchased by CanWest Global; Bollywood Blvd., the hit South Asian entertainment programme; and Jump Cut, awarded by the Canadian Ethnic Journalists’ and Writers’ Club (CEJWC) for innovation and excellence in programming reflective of Italian Canadian youth.

Recently, Mr. Papulkas produced, directed and wrote The Courage To Stand, a 30-minute video documenting the inspirational courage of British Columbian communities in response to hate. The project was completed within a three week time period in the Summer of 1998, for broadcast on Rogers Cablesystems and various outlets across Canada.

Prior to joining OMNI, Mr. Papulkas worked with The Sports Network from 1985-86 as Assignment Editor of TSN’s Sports Desk.

He graduated in 1982 with a diploma in radio and television from the Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology, where he won awards for Best Film and Best Television Program. The College later named one of their broadcast awards, “the Jump Cut” award in honour of a student-produced radio promo for the programme.