OTTAWA – Broadcasters must block or somehow mitigate profanities from airing during live sporting events, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) said Wednesday after finding TSN in breach of broadcast codes.
The CBSC investigated a Canadian Football League (CFL) game between the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Ottawa Redblacks on that aired on TSN 4 on October 27, 2017 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Microphones on the field picked up coarse language from the players, including the words “f*cking” and “motherf*cker”. There were no viewer advisories during the broadcast or any admonishment by the on-air hosts of the coarse language.
A viewer complained that this language has repeatedly appeared in TSN’s CFL broadcasts, and that the station has not made any attempts to correct this situation. TSN replied that they do not condone such language, but it is difficult to anticipate it and to censor live broadcasts.
The CBSC’s English-Language Panel examined the complaint under the CAB Code of Ethics which contains provisions requiring coarse language intended for adult audiences to be telecast only after 9:00 PM and accompanied by viewer advisories.
The Panel reiterated a previous CBSC decision from last year on this issue, acknowledging that while on-field microphones bring viewers closer to the game, it also risks exposing them to undesirable language. The May 2017 decision also suggested steps that would “ensure that viewers have access to the best calibre content, while protecting those viewers who wish to avoid such language.”
With regards to the present complaint, the Panel found breaches of Clauses 10(a) and 11 of the code for the broadcast of the f-word and its variants, and the lack of viewer advisories.
