Ottawa, March 6, 1992 – The Ontario Regional Council of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has found that a “Guess the Whoopee” contest, aired October 21, 1991, on CFTR-AM, Toronto, did not break any industry codes.
The program did not contravene an industry Sex-Role Portrayal Code, explained CBSC’s decision, because it did not contain “negative or degrading comments on the role and nature of women, men or children in society”.
Nor was there any conflict with a Code of Ethics clause which states “station contests and promotions should be conceived and conducted in good taste”.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) was established by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), to provide a self-regulatory mechanism for private sector broadcasters.
Fully endorsed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on August 30, 1991, the Council administers a CAB Code of Ethics, a Sex-Role Portrayal Code and a CAB Voluntary Code on TV Violence.
Eighty-nine percent of CAB members are CBSC members.
John Radford, chair of the Ontario Council, said broadcasters “are encouraged to respond to audience concerns with sensitivity and sympathy”. They are also “encouraged to provide ample information on a broadcaster’s policy and practices for applicable programming when responding to complaints.”
Other members of the Ontario Regional Council are Marianne Barrie, Susan Fish, Robert Stanbury, Paul Fockler and Don Luzzi.
The decision is attached.
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For more information please contact Mimi Fullerton, CBSC National Chair at (###) ###-####.