Ottawa, January 17, 2001 – The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) announces the appointment of Burnley A. (Rocky) Jones and Randy McKeen to its Atlantic Regional Council.
Rocky Jones is the Managing Lawyer in the firm of B.A. “Rocky” Jones & Associates in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In addition to his broad area of legal practice, which covers labour law, criminal law, human rights and aboriginal law, among many other fields, “Rocky” has had considerable experience in field of Legal Aid and has been extremely involved in the area of human rights. He has dedicated his formidable energies to various areas of African-Canadian and aboriginal activities, developing agencies, teaching history to African-Canadian and First Nations peoples at Dalhousie University, lecturing throughout North America on the Black Experience, human rights and contemporary issues in the field of Corrections. Jones developed Kwacha House, Eastern Canada’s first inner city self-help program, created and set in motion the Hero (Oral History) Project on Black Culture in Nova Scotia and served as the Executive Director of R.O.P.E. (Real Opportunities for Prisoner Employment).
Randy McKeen is News Director of Telemedia Radio Atlantic and operates out of CKHJ-AM, CIBX-FM and CFXY-FM in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In recognition of his significant contribution to New Brunswick radio over nearly 25 years, Randy has been honoured with six Atlantic or National RTNDA (Radio and Television News Directors Association of Canada) awards for editorial writing or best newscast. He has also served as a guest lecturer on writing techniques for Radio Broadcasting students at NB Community College in Woodstock and on the Journalism Advisory Committee at St. Thomas University. He spent four years on Broadcast News’ National Editorial Committee and two terms on the National Executive of the RTNDA. Active in the local community, he was a former volunteer for the United Way and the Special Olympics and he coaches minor league hockey and baseball.
Ron Cohen, the National Chair of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, expressed his enthusiasm at Jones’s and McKeen’s appointment to the Atlantic Regional Council. “Questions relating to diversity and human rights are an important component of the concerns expressed by the public to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council on an ongoing basis. Having the judgment of an experienced practitioner in this area is a major plus for the Council. The CBSC also deals with news and public affairs issues constantly. The wisdom and judgment brought to the analysis of such matters on our Regional Councils by RTNDA representatives across the country has been an enormous contribution to the CBSC’s decisions. It is equally valuable for us to have Rocky’s and Randy’s perspective and view on the varied matters which arise under the many other Code articles which come before the Council.”
The Atlantic Regional Council, like all of the other CBSC Regional Councils across the country, is made up of three public members and three industry members. Its Chair is Zoë Rideout of Grand Barachois, New Brunswick, a public member. The two current broadcaster members are Hilary Montbourquette of Newcap Broadcasting in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Kaye MacAulay of CFXS-AM in Stephenville, Newfoundland. There is currently one public member vacancy on the Atlantic Regional Council.
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Canada’s private broadcasters have created industry standards in the form of Codes dealing with gender portrayal, violence and ethical issues such as human rights by which they expect the members of their profession will abide. All CBSC Codes, decisions, Annual Reports, relevant documents, members, links to members’ and other web sites, and useful information relating to the Council are available at www.cbsc.ca. For more information, contact Ron Cohen, the National Chair, at (###) ###-####.