OTTAWA — The repetitive broadcast by Quebecor’s Le Canal Nouvelles (LCN) of the violent mistreatment of a horse on its public affairs morning show, Le Québec matin in November breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Violence Code, the CBSC said Wednesday.
The report on November 27, 2019 showed a horse being dragged through the snow by a pickup truck and the clip was repeated a total of 11 and a half times during a one-minute-thirty-seven-second-long report, according to the news release. The video was shown three times before the show’s host warned viewers the images were not easy to watch. It was then repeated a further seven and a half times in full-screen mode. The incident had occurred in Colorado, not Quebec, and the host informed viewers the couple who owned the horse had been charged. The two hosts of the show discussed the incident, saying it was “terrible” and “this shouldn’t happen at all”.
After a viewer complained to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, its French-language panel found although it was acceptable for LCN to show the clip, it was excessive to repeat it 11.5 times. It also found the warning uttered after the clip had already been shown three times was insufficient. For both reasons, the CBSC has found the repetition of the video showing the mistreatment of the horse was a breach of the CAB’s Violence Code.
LCN is required to announce the decision once during prime time within three days following the release of this decision and once more within seven days following the release of this decision during the time period in which Le Québec matin was broadcast, but not on the same day as the first mandated announcement; within the fourteen days following the broadcasts of the announcements, to provide written confirmation of the airing of the statement to the complainant who filed the ruling request; and to provide the CBSC with a copy of that written confirmation and with air check copies of the broadcasts of the two announcements.
