Canadian Broadcasting and Freedom of Information

Broadcasting in Canada is carefully controlled by the government-appointed Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). It decides what is good and bad for us to watch.

It has decided, for example, that single-faith religious broadcasting is bad Broadcasting in Canada is carefully controlled by the government-appointed Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). It decides what is good and bad for us to watch.

It has decided, for example, that single-faith religious broadcasting is bad for us. The two exceptions to this policy (exceptions which arose only because of intense public pressure) occurred in 1994 when the Lethbridge CJIL channel (now referred to as the Miracle Channel), received a licence and in 1997 when the CRTC decided to allow Crossroads Christian Communications, which produces 100 Huntley Street, to broadcast in the Toronto - Hamilton region. Both these licenses, however, had stringent conditions attached, unlike those given to any other broadcast channels. For example, Crossroads Christian Communications is required to produce 20 hours a week of "balanced" programming - a restriction not placed on any other licence (See Reality, July/August 1998, p. 1).

The CRTC seems determined to prevent any further encroachments by single-faith broadcasters. In accordance with this anti-religion policy, the CRTC has repeatedly denied a licence to the Conservative Catholic Network, Mother Angelica's Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) that is safely beamed into 56 million homes each day in 33 countries. There have been no reports of anyone anywhere dying or being harmed by the spiritual content of EWTN's programming.

The CRTC has also decided that a little uninhibited sex is good for us, and thus approved, in 1996, Playboy TV as one of the specialty channels we can happily watch.

The CRTC's responsibility to set terms and conditions for private and public broadcasting led to its recent 2-year review of the CBC's application for a licence renewal. During this review, the CRTC claimed that it held "public consultations" across Canada at which over 625 individuals have participated.

At one of these public consultations, held in June 1999, REAL Women of Canada made a presentation. Vicky LaPrairie, a bilingual member of REAL Women from Aylmer, Quebec, appeared before the Commission as part of a coalition seeking true balance in public broadcasting.

Vicky was joined in this coalition by Campaign Life, and Women, Faith and Family. In her presentation, Vicky pointed out how every program on CBC concerning the so-called "women's issues" is presented from the feminist perspective only - indicating that the views of all other Canadian women are irrelevant.

Campaign Life, in its brief, spoke about the appalling reporting by CBC of the abortion issue, including vicious and unreasonable attacks on the pro-life movement.

Women for Life, Faith and Family spoke of the reprehensible attacks on religion on the CBC, which amounts to hatemongering. All three presentations provided documentation and specific examples to support their complaints.

CRTC Decision on Licence Renewal
The CRTC, not unexpectedly, ignored these carefully considered complaints of the Coalition, and announced on January 2, 2000, that the CBC's licence would be renewed for a period of seven years to August 31, 2007. The licence was renewed on the condition that the CBC:

¨ develop more regionally produced programming (away from the domination of the egocentric producers in Toronto);

¨ restrict sports programming (which was seen by the CRTC as focusing on maximizing audience size, rather than providing a balanced schedule of "quality" programming);

¨ provide more music, dance and theatrical programming;

¨ reject the showing of foreign blockbuster movies in prime time on the grounds that there is too much competition for these foreign films which raises their price and drains CBC's limited resources, which should be devoted to Canadian programming;

¨ adhere to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) guidelines on sex-role portrayal. (CBC as a public broadcaster is not a member of CBSC and does not, therefore, have to abide by its guidelines.)

Canada Broadcast Standards Council's (CBSC) Sex-role Portrayal Guidelines

The CBSC, which was established in 1990, is a volunteer, self-regulating association to monitor private sector radio and television broadcasting in Canada, has the "whole-hearted support" and endorsement of the CRTC. More than 430 radio and television stations and specialty services across Canada are members of CBSC. It has its own code of ethics by which its members are required to abide. However, since its membership is voluntary, it does not have the power to penalize those who contravene its code - instead, it relies on the CRTC to do that. In short, the CRTC is the enforcer for the CBSC's wacky guidelines.

You will recall that in 1998 the CBSC condemned Focus on the Family on the basis of a single complaint, when Focus put forward factual information on homosexuality. (See Reality, September/October, 1998, "Freedom of Expression Curtailed by Homosexuals," p. 7.)

CBSC's guidelines on sex-role stereotyping were developed in consultation with, among others, a bevy of feminist groups, including the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and the National Watch on Images of Women in the Media Inc. All but the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women (which was disbanded by the government in 1995) are funded by the Status of Women, Women's Program. The CBSC gender guidelines require that men and women be portrayed in programming in a wide range of roles, both traditional and non-traditional, in paid work, social, family and leisure activities.

Other guidelines in the CBSC code of ethics include the provision that "since society has evolved, there is no single contemporary structure, but rather a range of family lifestyles and family arrangements that must be portrayed." Further, the guidelines provide that although broadcasters must avoid depictions of gratuitous harm towards individuals in a sexual context, as well as any promotion of sexual "hatred and degradation," nonetheless the Code provides that its guidelines should not be interpreted so as to censor the depiction of "healthy sex" (undefined). Heaven forbid! In other words, the CBSC's guidelines should not be interpreted as restricting a portrayal of uninhibited sex. Apparently such portrayals are good for us.

In summary, the CRTC has incorporated into CBC programming feminism and its side kick, unrestricted sexuality, as established by the CBSC guidelines. The CBC is notorious for its unbalanced left-wing feminist, pro-abortion programming. It can now officially claim that it is not the devil that makes it do it, but rather the CRTC. It may be that the two organizations are close relatives.

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