By Denis Carmel
IN A STATEMENT issued today, the CBC announced it would conform with the requirements outlined in a June decision by the CRTC, but indicated that “We do these things because we believe it is the right thing to do, not because the CRTC tells us to. Since 2020, we have continued to evolve as we strive to better reflect contemporary Canada, both in our content and in our workforce.”
The issue stems from the repetitive use, on-air, of the N-word by Radio-Canada when quoting the title of a book. That was in 2020.
In 2019, a similar controversy over the same book impacted the CBC career of Wendy Mesley.
Today’s CBC statement started with the following sentences: “The N-word is a racial slur and it is hurtful, in English and in French. On the rare occasion where it is used by a media organization, it needs to be put in context in an effort to minimize the hurt it may cause.”
“Our position on the N-word is clear. The CRTC did not ban the use of the word in its decision. Nonetheless, we consider that the CRTC has overstepped its authority with respect to the independence of the public broadcaster.”
So, the CBC will challenge the decision in the Federal Court of Appeal by first seeking leave. We are confident they will get it.
The CRTC was criticized severely in some circles, mostly in Québec and the CBC reaction will feed on this controversy.
We initially thought the Corporation was faced with two impossible choices: either defy the CRTC decision, which would have been a slap in the face to the regulator that had issued a favorable decision on its five-year renewal just the week before, and appeal; or conform with the decision, which goes against everything it stands for.
They found an elegant way out, minimizing the face losing. This is not the end of this saga, but the temperature is lower for everybody, including the Heritage minister.
