ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand is launching its inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) as part of a commitment to Australia’s First Peoples.

The plan follows the framework of Reconciliation Australia’s own RAP program, and focuses on building meaningful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organizations, networks and educational bodies. The plans aims to promote these values both internally and externally.

In 2021, the regional ViacomCBS will expand its National Reconciliation Week activities to celebrate Australia’s First Nations. While details were limited at press time, the broadcaster said it plans to “deliver content that acknowledges and champions the diverse histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples” in a release.

According to the CEO of Reconciliation Australia, ViacomCBS is the first free-to-air TV network to partner with its RAP program. Pubcaster ABC Australia, meanwhile, launched its first RAP in 2009, and then released an updated version covering 2019-2022.

As part of its plan, ABC has committed to ensuring that Australia’s Indigenous people maintain authorship/authority over their own stories, and are established in key roles such as writers, directors, producers or showrunners on these projects. Kids series Grace Beside Me is one recent example.