CRTC's Blais calls reports that Bell Media president interfered with CTV’s news coverage “disturbing”; Crull apologizes

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...