MONTREAL – Concerns over “allegations of systemic and overt racism” within the CRTC have prompted two community organizations to petition Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly to reinstate former Ontario CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan.
In a letter dated September 6 that was also copied to Governor General David Johnston and CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, the Community Media Advocacy Centre and Urban Alliance on Race Relations noted that in the Commission’s 48 year history, only two of 103 first-time appointments have been granted to visible minorities, and that no visible minority or Indigenous person has ever been appointed to serve as a CRTC chairman or vice-chairman.
“Appointments to the Commission thus suggest a serious problem of inequitable representation within the administration of the federal broadcast and telecommunications regulator, rooted in systemic racism, that can be observed without touching upon any of the disclosed information or allegations related to Shoan’s case”, reads the letter.
The letter goes on to highlight Shoan’s federal court case against Blais and Minister Joly’s decision to rescind Shoan’s appointment from the CRTC, which Cartt.ca has reported on extensively.
“Without any public disclosure of the causes for which Shoan has been dismissed, one is easily led to the conclusion that this dismissal is a direct result of his attempt to fulfill his responsibilities as a Commissioner for the region of Ontario: Canada’s most racially and culturally diverse province”, continues the letter. “If this is indeed the case, by attempting to sweep matters of systemic and overt racism under a rug through the dismissal of a “problem individual”, the CRTC, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Governor-in-Council have committed a grave disservice to all Canadians, particularly those impacted by racism.”
In addition to asking the Minister and Governor-in-Council to reconsider the decision to dismiss Shoan, the CMAC and UARR requested a meeting “to discuss the context of systemic inequity in representation at the CRTC”; asked that no other Commissioner for Ontario be appointed until the court proceedings related to Shoan’s cases are concluded; that a transparent and accountable third party investigate allegations of racism within the CRTC; that the Commission implement anti-racism education and training for its staff and appointees; and that it “establish equitable representation through the appointment of Commissioners who are People of Colour, Indigenous people and people from the community broadcasting sector for the five further vacancies currently on the Commission”.
