OTTAWA – The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) released two decisions on Wednesday concerning the broadcast of coarse language.
The first decision pertained to HGTV’s 7:00 PM broadcast of Timber Kings, a reality program about a construction company that specializes in custom log buildings. The episode broadcast on January 8, 2015 contained instances of “sh*t” and the phrase “this thing’s a bitch” in expressions of frustration at the difficulty of the construction.
A CBSC Panel concluded that such language was acceptable during early evening broadcasts, but that HGTV should have included viewer advisories on the broadcast. HGTV violated Clause 11 of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics.
The second decision concerned Sportsnet Ontario’s 4:00 PM broadcast of Premier League Poker on February 9, 2015. During an introductory segment showing the arrival of the players, one player used the expression “Go f*ck yourself”. He also used the f-word again during the poker match to express his surprise at how the game was unfolding.
The Panel concluded that the f-word should only be broadcast after 9:00 PM, should be accompanied by viewer advisories, and that Sportsnet Ontario violated Clauses 10 and 11 of the CAB Code of Ethics. The Panel noted, however, that Sportsnet had already removed the program from its schedule while it developed a policy to ensure this type of coarse language was broadcast appropriately.
Created in 1990 by Canada’s private broadcasters, the CBSC currently administers seven codes which deal with ethics, equitable portrayal, violence, news and journalistic independence. Nearly 900 radio stations, satellite radio services, television stations and specialty and pay television services across Canada are members of the Council.
