Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

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Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Tape Splicer » Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:54 pm

From "BROADCASTER" Magazine: The CBSC ruling involves CFXL FM in Calgary. the station broadcasts "The Tom Kent Show".
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Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC
DAILY NEWS Jul 18, 2012 3:04 PM -
http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/news ... 001551448/
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council today released its decision concerning the use of a racial term on the American radio program Tom Kent broadcast on CFXL-FM (XL 103 FM, Calgary). The CBSC concluded that the broadcast of the term “chinaman” violated the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code.

The Tom Kent show consists of music and some talk. On the February 10, 2012 episode, Kent spoke with a caller about a man who was planning a world record parachute jump. The caller made the comment “when he splats on [the] ground, [people will] say ‘Well, it definitely wasn’t Superman’”. Kent then replied, “They’ll say it was that famous chinaman, Sum Dum Guy.”

A listener complained that the word “chinaman” is racist, offensive and unacceptable in the present day. The radio station explained that the program originates in the United States, but agreed that the word is unacceptable on Canadian airwaves and gave assurances that it would be more careful in the future. Canadian stations are responsible for all material that they air, regardless of its source.

The CBSC’s Prairie Regional Panel examined the complaint under the Human Rights clauses of the CAB Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code, which prohibits abusive or unduly discriminatory comment on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin. It also examined the complaint under Clause 9(b) regarding Language and Terminology of the Equitable Portrayal Code, which requires broadcasters to avoid the use of derogatory language in references to individuals or groups based on race, national or ethnic origin. The Panel concluded that the segment did not violate the Human Rights clauses because Kent did not actually make any negative comments about Chinese people. The segment did, however, violate the Language and Terminology clause because “chinaman” has evolved to become an offensive and pejorative term.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Neumann Sennheiser » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:17 am

What you might get away with, eliciting no worse than a tsk tsk, in the coffee room you simply cannot say over the airwaves without taking a lot of heat.
Even more than twenty years ago, I got into serious trouble and could have lost my job over what I thought was an innocent comment; played the Traveling Wilburys and made a crack about my fictitious, always vacationing neighbors, the Traveling Adelmann's.
The manager got letters from the Jewish Defense League! :oops:
I got called on the carpet and it ended with my writing a sincere letter of apology. An on-air apology was asked for but, for whatever reason, management didn't demand for me to go that far.
I think the only mitigating factor that saved my butt was that the remark was truly unintentional and the reaction unforeseen.
If you, as a younger, current broadcaster danced so close to the edge under today's standards I doubt you'd survive with employment still intact.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby 45 RPM » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:49 am

So, I guess playing Kung Fu Fighting in 2012 is a no no? Wouldn't want to offend anyone with the "Funky Chinamen in Funky Chinatown" line now would we?

Like so many things, this whole CBSC dog and pony show is an absolute waste of time and money.

The bigger waste of time and money is the fact that XL 103 or any other station would even waste their airwaves with this idiotic Tom Kent Show. Like Tesh, Delilah and other "shows" imported from the
US, there is little or no relevance to the market they are being broadcast in. It's not even a show, just a bunch of generic voice tracks dumped into the stations usual music mix. Don't insult the intelligence
of your listeners with this imported canned crap. Just play the music, jingles and splitters if you don't have the budget for an evening or mid-day jock.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby isthisthingon » Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:15 am

"played the Traveling Wilburys and made a crack about my fictitious, always vacationing neighbors, the Traveling Adelmann's.
The manager got letters from the Jewish Defense League!"


That just doesn't ring true at all. If it happened then you were pranked.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Dan Sys » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:26 am

What about those TV stations that air the old All In The Family reruns? Some of the stuff that comes out of Archie Bunkers mouth is a lot more racist than "chinaman". Perhaps classic shows like that have a grandfather clause so politically correct groups like the CBSC can't whine about them.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby drmusic » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:53 am

I'm not sure it's a matter of the age of the program so much as the context. You're certainly allowed to air movies that contain racial slurs, that are in the dramatic context of the film. (The first thing I thought of, seeing "Chinaman", was The Big Lebowski.)
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Mike Cleaver » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:15 pm

CFRA in Ottawa used to run (and may still run) old radio shows overnight and some of the language, especially in the World War II era shows was definitely over the line, gooks, Japs, yellow peril and similar derogatory terms regarding Germans, Italians and others on the "wrong" side of the war.
Since the shows had to be edited anyway, it was suggested such references be beeped out or simply snipped before someone complained.
But management didn't seem to care and I guess no one ever complained, meaning no one listened overnight.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby drmusic » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:32 pm

But what's the difference between an old radio drama and an old movie on TCM?
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Mike Cleaver » Thu Jul 19, 2012 2:42 pm

The US doesn't have the same laws and regulations we do concerning broadcasting derogatory comments about groups or individuals.
I assume if someone here in Canada complained about language in movies on TCM, some agency would request the Canadian carriers censor the films as well.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Neumann Sennheiser » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:18 pm

isthisthingon wrote:"played the Traveling Wilburys and made a crack about my fictitious, always vacationing neighbors, the Traveling Adelmann's.
The manager got letters from the Jewish Defense League!"


That just doesn't ring true at all. If it happened then you were pranked.


Oh I assure you, it happened.
Certainly I did question the validity of the complainants but those who controlled my means of employment took it seriously enough.
Now, I WAS going through a pretty messy marriage break up at that time so that's gonna be something to make you go "Hmmm".
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Howaboutthat » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:26 pm

Neumann Sennheiser wrote:
isthisthingon wrote:"played the Traveling Wilburys and made a crack about my fictitious, always vacationing neighbors, the Traveling Adelmann's.
The manager got letters from the Jewish Defense League!"


That just doesn't ring true at all. If it happened then you were pranked.


Oh I assure you, it happened.
Certainly I did question the validity of the complainants but those who controlled my means of employment took it seriously enough.
Now, I WAS going through a pretty messy marriage break up at that time so that's gonna be something to make you go "Hmmm".


I will wager that there is not a single media outlet in Vancouver (print or electronic) that has not received some kind of correspondence from the JDL for something that organization took exception to, whether implied or not.
Houston, We're dealing with morons!.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby ThisIsNotCBC » Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:46 pm

Any which way you view the situation, this much I know...political correctness sucks. :neutral:
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby Dan Sys » Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:25 pm

Any which way you view the situation, this much I know...political correctness sucks.


Right on This Is Not CBC! Why are these CBSC bozos still around anyways? They became the laughing stock of the nation (& beyond) last year with that whole Dire Straits fiasco.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby freqfreak2 » Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:05 am

Seems to me the CSBC is part of a win-win solution.

Broadcasters can boast they are part of a regulatory body regarding their practices (include CAJ here) while the CRTC sees this as a relief for not having to delve into these sorts of issues.

But at the end of the day, without legal authority to enforce rulings with some sort of penalty, such organisations are impotent ... and that's how the 99 per centers like it.
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Re: Derogatory Ethnic Term Unacceptable -- CBSC

Postby isthisthingon » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:55 am

Howaboutthat wrote:
Neumann Sennheiser wrote:
isthisthingon wrote:"played the Traveling Wilburys and made a crack about my fictitious, always vacationing neighbors, the Traveling Adelmann's.
The manager got letters from the Jewish Defense League!"


That just doesn't ring true at all. If it happened then you were pranked.


Oh I assure you, it happened.
Certainly I did question the validity of the complainants but those who controlled my means of employment took it seriously enough.
Now, I WAS going through a pretty messy marriage break up at that time so that's gonna be something to make you go "Hmmm".


I will wager that there is not a single media outlet in Vancouver (print or electronic) that has not received some kind of correspondence from the JDL for something that organization took exception to, whether implied or not.


If there really is a JDL they are worried about the big issues. If they had influence on media, and cared about picayune one-liners or broad stereotypes (as many like to believe), there would be no Mort Goldman & family on Family Guy, no Rabbi and Herschel "Krusty" Krustofsky on The Simpsons, no Kyle on South Park, and about 1/2 as many stand-up comics on the circuit. Similarly, African-Canadians and African-Americans, and Desi people all enjoy self-deprecating humour. It's best I stop here before I mention other less evolved ...................never mind.
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