Ottawa, June 4, 1993 – The Ontario Regional Council of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has decided that the scheduling of the feature film, “Another 48 Hours”, on CITY-TV, did not breach an industry code regarding television violence.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) “Voluntary Code Regarding Violence on Television” states that broadcasters should schedule programs “intended for mature, adult audiences” during “late evening hours.” After viewing a tape of the film and reviewing CITY-TV’s explanation of the situation against these provisions of the code, the regional council deemed that 9 p.m. (the start time of the film) constituted “late evening hours.” The council also considered the more precise definition of 9 p.m. as “late evening hours” in codes applied in the U.K. and Australia. According to the council’s unanimous decision, CITY-TV aired the film at an appropriate time and did not breach the code.
The CBSC Ontario Regional Council is composed equally of representatives of the public and of the broadcasting industry. The Chair of the regional council, Marianne Barrie, represents the public, while the Vice-Chair, Al MacKay, is a broadcaster. The other public members of the regional council are Susan Fish and Robert Stanbury. The other broadcaster representatives are Don Luzzi and Paul Fockler. All members were present for the decision.
Established by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) as a self-regulatory mechanism for private sector broadcasters, the CBSC was formally endorsed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in August, 1991. The CBSC administers the CAB’s Voluntary Code Regarding Violence on Television, which is currently under revision. The Council also administers the CAB Code of Ethics and the Sex-Role Portrayal Code.
The decision is attached.
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For more information, please contact Mimi Fullerton, CBSC National Chair, at (###) ###-####.