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Religious Talk Show Host's Comments on Gays Violated Canadian Broadcasting Standards

By Howard M. Friedman

Last week the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council released the decision of its Ontario regional panel handed down in June relating to  the religious talk show Word TV (broadcast on CITS-TV, the Crossroads Television System in Ontario). (Full text of decision.)  While the panel cleared Word TV host Charles McVety of ethics charges relating to comments on several issues, it found that his comments about homosexuality violated the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics and its Equitable Portrayal Code. In particular the panel focused on four areas: he falsely claimed that the Ontario and Alberta Human Rights Commissions had a 100% conviction rate; he asserted that it is a crime to speak against homosexuality; he mischaracterized Ontario's revised school curriculum as one designed to teach homosexuality; and he mischaracterized gay pride parades as promoting sexual perversion and their advertising as promoting sex with children. The National Post reported Friday that in response to the decision, CTS has temporarily taken Word TV off the air. The CBSC decision requires CITS-TV to air a specified notice describing the decision once during prime time and once during the time slot in which Word TV was broadcast. [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on December 13, 2010 (boomark / email).