OTTAWA – Radio hosts comments about running over cyclists were ok, but the coarse language used ran afoul of the broadcast codes, The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has ruled.
The morning show hosts of Le show du matin, broadcast on CHOI-FM (Radio X, Quebec City), were discussing e-cigarettes and complained about e-cigarette users’ disregard for the people around them. They likened this to cyclists who take up too much space on roadways and act like they are morally superior to vehicle drivers. In addition to the comment about running the cyclists over, the hosts also referred to them as “idiots” and uttered the English expression “F**k you!”.
The CBSC received 145 complaints, alleging that the hosts encouraged violence against cyclists. The CBSC’s Quebec Regional Panel examined the complaints under the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics which prohibits the sanction or promotion of violence. The Panel considered that the comments expressed the hosts’ frustration with cyclists who inconvenience drivers and did not seriously advocate for violence to be committed against cyclists. There was, therefore, no breach of the Code in that respect.
The Panel did, however, find a Code breach for the use of coarse language. Given that this was the third occasion on which CHOI-FM was found in violation of the Code provision relating to coarse language, the station is required to provide the CBSC with a plan to ensure that such breaches will not recur in future broadcasts.
