OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC says that the CBC breached provisions of the TV regulations and a condition of licence when it broadcast controversial New Year’s Eve special Bye Bye 2008 on its French-language network.
The Commission said it concurs with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council’s (CBSC) analysis of the complaints and its conclusions, and determined that certain segments of the program violated the television broadcasting regulations, which prohibit the broadcast of abusive comments; breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code concerning the portrayal of visible minorities; and failed to meet the high-standard provision of the Broadcasting Act since it was aired without viewer advisories at a time when children may be watching television.
Bye Bye 2008 originally aired on December 31, 2008, at 11:00 p.m. and was re-broadcast the following day at 8:00 p.m. The CRTC said that it received over 250 complaints from groups and individuals following the broadcasts of the satire-oriented variety television program. Given its experience in these matters, it asked the CBSC to examine the complaints and to provide an analysis.
"Television has a significant impact on the way Canadians perceive themselves and others," said CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein, in the press release. "Broadcasters must maintain high standards at all times and are responsible for the content they broadcast, including during live programs. We expect the CBC to apologize to its viewers and implement mechanisms to prevent such an unfortunate situation from occurring again in the future."
The Commission also encouraged the CBC “to explore the possibility” of becoming a member of the CBSC, a self-regulatory body established by Canada’s private broadcasters to uphold broadcast standards.
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