OTTAWA-GATINEAU – CRTC chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais said that he finds it “disturbing” that allegations are swirling that Bell Media and CTV may be “manipulating news coverage”.
In a statement Wednesday preaching “journalistic independence”, Blais essentially responded to a Globe and Mail report claiming that Bell Media president Kevin Crull was so “furious” over last Thursday’s CRTC decision to unbundle TV programming packages, that he ordered CTV News president Wendy Freeman to ensure that Blais did not appear on air that day.
Quoting unnamed sources, the report says that Freeman contacted CTV staff to tell them of the directive from Crull and to not to use clips of Blais, telling some she felt she would be fired if they did not comply. Blais was scheduled for an interview on the CTV show Power Play later that day, but his appearance was cancelled by the network minutes before the show went to air. A CRTC spokesperson confirmed the cancellation, but said no reason was given, the report continues.
“The allegation… that the largest communication company in Canada is manipulating news coverage is disturbing." – Jean Pierre Blais, CRTC
“That a regulated company does not like one of the CRTC’s rulings is one thing”, Blais said in the statement. “The allegation, however, that the largest communication company in Canada is manipulating news coverage is disturbing. Holding a radio or television licence is a privilege that comes with important obligations that are in the public interest, especially in regards to high-quality news coverage and reporting.”
Blais added that Canadian journalists’ right to report news stories “independently and without undue editorial interference” is enshrined in the Code of Ethics developed by RTDNA Canada (The Association of Electronic Journalists), not to mention “one of the pillars of Canada’s broadcasting system”. The RTNDA Code of Ethics is administered by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and CTV, in addition to other private broadcasters, is a member of this independent body and therefore obligated to adhere to its codes of conduct.
“We expect Canada’s broadcasters to live up to their responsibilities and adhere to a high standard in their news and information programs”, Blais continued. “An informed citizenry cannot be sacrificed for a company’s commercial interests. Canadians can only wonder how many times corporate interests may have been placed ahead of the fair and balanced news reporting they expect from their broadcasting system.”
Early Wednesday evening, Crull issued a statement of his own, attempting to explain his actions and say he's "re-learned" his lesson.
"I reached out to the CTV News leadership team to let them know I felt the focus on the CRTC itself by CTV and other Canadian news organizations would be better placed on a broad and necessary discussion of the impacts of the CRTC’s decisions on consumers, our team members, and our business," said Crull in his statement.
"It was wrong of me to be anything but absolutely clear that editorial control always rests with the news team." – Kevin Crull, Bell Media
"It was wrong of me to be anything but absolutely clear that editorial control always rests with the news team. I have apologized to the team directly for this mistake. Indeed their strong and straightforward reaction to my intrusion only heightens my appreciation of their independence, integrity and professionalism. It is crucial to note that CTV’s coverage of the CRTC’s decisions was fair, balanced and extensive, and stands up in comparison to coverage of the issue by any Canadian news organization."
"In short, I’ve re-learned a valuable lesson from the best news team in the business.”
