Powell
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Joined: 27 Nov 2004
{Posts: 2379 }
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 Posted: Sun 31 May 2009 03:53 Post subject: Obama assassination joke by Canadian broadcaster |
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-cn-canada-obama-joke,0,1127141.story
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| Quote: | chicagotribune.com
Canada's broadcast standards council criticizes Obama assassination joke
By Associated Press
8:18 PM CDT, May 26, 2009
MONTREAL (AP) — A broadcast industry council slammed Canada's
French-language radio broadcaster for airing a comedy sketch that
suggested that Barack Obama would be easy to assassinate because the
first black American president would stand out against the White House.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council issued a public reprimand of
Radio-Canada Monday, after the government's regulatory agency asked the
private industry council to look into the matter before it begins its
own investigation.
Canada's broadcast regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission, received 210 complaints about
Radio-Canada's controversial "Bye Bye 2008" New Year's Eve sketch.
The CRTC asked the council to examine the show even though Radio-Canada
is not a member of the private industry council.
"The panel finds nothing redeeming in the allegedly comedic notion that
an American president should be shot, still less that this would be
easier to achieve because of the color of the president's skin," the
council said in its decision.
"It was a disturbing, wounding, abusive racial comment."
The government's CRTC will use the council's report as a basis for its
own eventual decision on complaints against the show. The regulatory
body does not have the power to issue a fine either, but if it also
reprimands the broadcaster that could create problems for Radio-Canada
when its license is up for renewal.
In slamming the "Bye Bye 2008" show's jibes at blacks, which included a
fake interviewer telling the audience to hide their wallets when a black
actor playing Obama arrived, the private industry council called the
segments "simplistic, belittling, hurtful and prejudicial."
Radio-Canada said in a statement it is surprised the CRTC took the
unusual step of consulting the council — "a self-regulatory
organization" — and promised to respond.
"The CRTC must make its own decision following a fair process in which
Radio-Canada has been able to give its side," said Marc Pichette, a
Radio-Canada spokesman.
Dan Philip, president of the Black Coalition of Quebec, expressed
satisfaction with the findings of the broadcast standards council.
"This is what we have been looking for," he said. "Radio-Canada, an
institution that is supposed to be representative of the public, I think
violated all basic understanding as to its responsibility in society." |
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