Radio / Television News

HIFI specialty channel violated broadcasting code: CBSC

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Adult content broadcast too early in the day 

OTTAWA — A number of broadcasts in November 2016 on specialty channel HIFI violated the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics and Violence Code by airing adult content before 9:00 p.m. and not providing adequate viewer advisories, the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council (CBSC) announced Wednesday.

Several broadcasts of HIFI programming, including the 10,000 BC reality show, the Trailer Park Boys comedy series and The Mechanic action movie, contained adult language, violence and sexual content that should not have been broadcast before 9:00 p.m., the CBSC concluded in its decision.

In addition, the CBSC also found problems with the viewer advisories and classifications that accompanied the programming, the CBSC said in a press release.

The first program at issue was the British reality show 10,000 BC, which was broadcast at both 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. with unedited instances of adult language. In addition to concluding the swear words should not have been broadcast unedited before 9:00 p.m., the CBSC concluded the broadcasts should have been rated higher than PG and should have been accompanied by viewer advisories, which they were not.

The second broadcast in question was the American action movie The Mechanic, televised at 3:00 p.m., which contained adult language, numerous scenes of graphic violence and some scenes of sexual activity. The CBSC determined those elements required a later timeslot after 9:00 p.m. and at least a 14+ rating. Although HIFI did include a viewer advisory, it failed to mention the sexual content. Furthermore, HIFI should have redisplayed the classification icon at the beginning of the second hour of the movie, the CBSC said.

Finally, the third issue was three episodes of the Canadian comedy Trailer Park Boys. The episodes aired at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and contained coarse language, sexual references and depictions of drug consumption, alcoholism, gunplay and other violence. The CBSC concluded that all of those elements required a post-9:00 p.m. broadcast and at least a 14+ rating. Again, the accompanying viewer advisories should have also mentioned the sexual content, the CBSC said.

In all instances, HIFI broadcast the classification icons for only four seconds, rather than the required 15 seconds, the CBSC said. In conclusion, HIFI was in violation of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics and Violence Code for the content described above, the CBSC said.

The CBSC was created in 1990 by Canada’s private broadcasters to administer the codes of standards that they established for their industry. The CBSC currently administers seven codes which deal with ethics, equitable portrayal, violence, news and journalistic independence. Around 800 radio stations, satellite radio services, television stations, and specialty and pay television services across Canada participate in the Council.

www.cbsc.ca