OTTAWA – A conversation between a listener and the hosts of CFNY-FM’s Dean Blundell Show about a fist fight that had broken out at a Toronto Remembrance Day ceremony breached the CAB’s Code of Ethics because it sanctioned violence.
In its decision released today, the Ontario regional panel of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) found the conversation, which was broadcast on November 13, 2012, “sanctioned, promoted and glamorized violence” contrary to Clause 9(a) of the CAB Code of Ethics.
A listener filed a complaint about the conversation, in which Blundell and his co-hosts spoke with a man who had gotten into a fight with another man who was apparently among a group protesting Canada’s military involvement in Afghanistan at the Toronto Remembrance Day ceremony. Blundell and company expressed approval for the man’s actions against the protestor with comments such as “Oh, you dummied him!”, “Good for him!” and “thanks for doin’ that”.
Corus-owned CFNY-FM responded to the complaint saying that the hosts had simply discussed the incident with one of the participants and, at one point, Blundell had even said, “I don’t suggest people go around beating up protestors.” The panel did not consider that an adequate defence for the other comments and instead found them in breach of Clause 9(a) of the CAB Code of Ethics.
In contrast, the panel found no code breach for the hosts’ use of the terms “bitches” and “skanks” to refer to the female protestors, and the word “prick” to refer to the male protestor because those words are mild swear words acceptable for broadcast at any time of day and the individuals targeted by the words were not identified by name.
The panel also found that there was no abusive commentary about identifiable groups because no specific groups were mentioned.
As part of the CSBC decision, CFNY-FM must announce the decision once during peak listening hours within three days and again within seven days during the Dean Blundell Show time slot. It must also provide confirmations of the announcement to the CSBC.
