Ottawa, June 20, 2018– The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) today released its decision concerning an episode of the open-line program Doc Mailloux et Josey broadcast on CKOB-FM (106,9fm, Mauricie) on October 12, 2017 from 9:30 to 11:00 am. The CBSC concluded that nothing in the episode contravened the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics or Equitable Portrayal Code.
Doc Mailloux et Josey is a call-in program hosted by psychiatrist Pierre Mailloux and Josey Arsenault, who discuss interpersonal relationships and social issues with their callers. On the October 12 episode, Mailloux commented that people of an older generation “lies to themselves cheerfully, daily, copiously, abundantly” and expressed frustration with older callers who, he felt, were misremembering or misrepresenting events from their pasts. He also discussed sexual issues with some callers, such as sex toys used for female masturbation.
A listener complained that Mailloux had made disparaging and discriminatory comments about old people, and that the program had contained sexually explicit material. The station argued that the host was entitled to give his opinion on different groups, that Josey the co-host had provided counter-balance to these opinions, and that the sexual comments were made within the context of a mature and respectful discussion with no detailed descriptions of sexual acts.
The CBSC’s French-Language Panel examined the complaint under the provisions of the CAB Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Coderelating to human rights, stereotyping and degrading material. It concluded that the comments about old people did not reach the level of abusive or unduly discriminatory material and any of Mailloux’s comments were counter-balanced by his co-host Josey who emphasized that he should not generalize. The Panel also examined the complaint under the Radio Broadcasting clause of the CAB Code of Ethics which prohibits the broadcast of “unduly sexually explicit material”. The Panel concluded that the conversations were not sexually explicit because they did not constitute detailed descriptions of sexual acts.
The CBSC was created in 1990 by Canada’s private broadcasters to administer the codes of standards that they established for their industry. The CBSC currently administers 5 codes which deal with ethics, equitable portrayal, violence, news and journalistic independence. Around 800 radio stations, satellite radio services, conventional and discretionary television services across Canada participate in the Council.
– 30 –
All CBSC decisions, codes, and related information are available on the CBSC’s website at www.cbsc.ca. For more information, please contact CBSC Chair, Sylvie Courtemanche, at scourtemanche@cbsc.ca or by telephone at 613-233-4607.