OTTAWA – The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) today ruled that CTV’s Toronto CFTO-TV station and Corus’s CKAC-AM (98.5 FM, Montreal) station are both in violation of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Code of Ethics.
The decisions concern a news report broadcast on CTV Toronto (CFTO-TV) about a dispute over a driveway renovation in Toronto. The CBSC concluded it was in violation because it failed to provide a comprehensive presentation of the issue; and included unnecessary personal information about one individual. In the case of CKAC-AM, Ron Fournier host of Bonsoir les sportifs suggested that the Montreal Canadiens use violence against their opponents. The council concluded that the broadcast violated the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Code of Ethics because it promoted violence contrary to clause 9(a).
The CFTO-TV newscast reported that a Toronto woman who had originally received permission from the city to extend her driveway, was told five years later that the city had made a mistake, her permit was rescinded, and she would have to restore the driveway at her expense. The report implied that the city had changed its decision because some of the neighbours opposed the renovation. It named one of them, showed his house, informed viewers that he was not home during the day, and reported that he had made a donation to the local city councillor’s election campaign.
The CBSC received a complaint from that neighbour, who said that the newscast had not provided the full story, since the permit revocation resulted from the woman’s provision of false information to obtain the permit. He was also concerned about the violation of his privacy.
The Ontario regional panel concluded that the report was not comprehensive or fair because the broadcaster had not tried to investigate the reasons for which the city had revoked permission, despite the fact that it had easy access to that publicly available information as well as to statements from the neighbours. It ruled the news report also violated the RTNDA Codes of Ethics.
In the case of CKAC-AM, host Fournier was speaking with his co-host about the meagre reaction of the Montreal Canadiens to opponent’s interference with their goalie in a recent game. Fournier suggested that, on the first two instances of goalie interference, the team should approach the referee, but, on the third occasion, [translation] you break your stick on the back of the players neck. […] You cross-check him in the back of the head and he ends up with his face in the glass enclosure or in the ice! He repeated this suggestion despite the reminder from his co-host that young people listen to the program.
The CBSC received a complaint from a listener who was concerned about the message this broadcast sent to young people about using violence in hockey games. The station argued that Fournier had not intended to incite listeners to violence and the comments were made in the context of a specific professional hockey game.
The Quebec Regional Panel examined the complaint under Clause 9(a) of the CAB Code of Ethics, which prohibits the sanctioning or promotion of violence on radio. The panel concluded that the broadcast violated that code provision because Fournier’s remarks not only endorsed, encouraged, approved and supported such violent acts, they recommended such a course of action to protect a goaltender.
In another CBSC decision released today concerning a segment on CHMP-FM’s (98.5 FM, Montreal) morning show Puisquil faut se lever, the Quebec regional panel found that the station had not violated the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Code of Ethics by identifying an individual politician who had complained about a television host.
