OTTAWA – The CBSC says it could not agree on whether it was acceptable to use the “n-word” in English subtitles on a Spanish-language drama. Since the panel’s decision was evenly split, TLN en Español was deemed not to have violated the Code.
TLN en Español broadcasts a Spanish-language telenovela called El cartel de los sapos. The program is produced in Colombia and follows the lives of drug cartel members. One of the cartel members is black and his friends refer to him by the nickname “el negro.” English subtitles appear on the program and translate that term as “Nigger.”
The CBSC received a complaint from a viewer who wrote that “black man” would be a more accurate and appropriate translation than the derogatory “n-word.” TLN en Español explained that the subtitling is done in Colombia, not North America, and the word is used in the program in a friendly way to designate one specific character, not to make derogatory remarks about an entire group.
The CBSC’s National Specialty Services Panel examined the complaint under Clause 9 of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Equitable Portrayal Code which requires broadcasters to avoid the use of derogatory or inappropriate terminology in references to individuals or groups based on race (among other categories). The panel also considered Clause 10 of that Code which acknowledges that some offensive language may be acceptable in certain program contexts.
Three adjudicators concluded that the “n-word” is unacceptable for broadcast, regardless of the context and even in subtitles. Three other adjudicators concluded that a different translation would have been advisable, but there was no pejorative connotation to the word used in the particular context of this program.
The members of the panel all agree that the choice of the Spanish term “el negro” to refer to Santilla, who is a Black character, does not denote any intention to demean the black race. "It is rather more the case of a nickname used affectionately in this instance."
"However, some members of the panel are of the view that the English term “nigger” given as the English translation in the subtitles is unacceptable."
