CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

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CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby jon » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:29 am

CRTC asks the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council to review decision to ban Dire Straits song
Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, Jan. 21 /CNW/ - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission today wrote to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) asking it to review its determination that the unedited version of the song "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits was inappropriate for Canadian radio. On January 12, 2011, the CBSC's Atlantic Regional Panel found that the use of a derogatory word in the song breached broadcast codes.

The CBSC's decision has elicited a strong public reaction and created uncertainty for private radio stations across the country. The Commission has received over 250 letters from Canadians, most of which questioned the decision. These letters have been forwarded to the CBSC.

Given the exceptional nature of this situation, the Commission has asked the CBSC to appoint a panel with a national composition to review the complaints regarding the Dire Straits' song as well as its original decision.

The Commission expects that the council will seek further comments from the public on the matter. Furthermore, the CBSC should take into consideration all relevant factors, including:
  • the context of the particular wording in the song's theme and intended message
  • the age and origin of the song and the performance date
  • the prominence of the contested word and the use of that word over time, and
  • the length of time and frequency that it has been playing on the radio.
Established in 1990 by private broadcasters, the CBSC is a self-regulatory body that administers codes on ethics, equitable portrayal, television violence and journalistic independence.

CRTC Letter to the CBSC
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/lb110121.htm
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby drmusic » Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:29 pm

"Review" equals "change"?
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Paul P » Fri Jan 21, 2011 1:36 pm

Wow!
One non-elected body telling another how to do its job.
This DEFINITELY changes my opinion of the CRTC! :tail

Any guesses on how quickly the CBSC will tell the CRTC to mind its own business?
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Buckley » Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:08 pm

jon wrote:[size=150]
The Commission expects that the council will seek further comments from the public on the matter. Furthermore, the CBSC should take into consideration all relevant factors, including:[list][*]the context of the particular wording in the song's theme and intended message
[*]the age and origin of the song and the performance date


So Johnny Rebel should be allowed on the radio because it's old and from the south?

I don't know what the big deal is of just going back to playing the edited version, I understand the context and I'm not offended by the lyrics either but what's the difference? It's 4 lines. Just play the edited version and everyone's happy. I've never heard someone say "man, I'm really angry that the word "faggot" isn't on the radio more!" (though, admittedly, I don't spend a lot of time at Klan rallies).
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Paul P » Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:44 pm

So Buckley wants stations to knuckle under and throw away 25 years of history so "everyone will be happy"

'Everyone', meaning the ONE person who complained?

Keep spinnin' the 'happy' version at those weddings Buckley!
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby drmusic » Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:06 pm

25 years of stations playing the edited version, you mean? Because 99 percent of airplay of that song has been exactly that.
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Paul P » Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:38 pm

Sorry Doc... no, I actually meant that stations had at least the option of playing the original version.

It looks like some would even like to give that away.
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby groundwave » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:46 pm

From http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2011/01/21/16976851.html

CRTC wants Dire Straits ruling reviewed

“We are glad to do what the CRTC asks,” said CBSC national chair Ron Cohen.

“On the basis of letters and e-mails that have come to them this has become a national issue. So the CRTC has asked us to reconsider this as a national issue,” said Cohen.


Who cares what thousands of opposed citizens think? Just be ready to blurt out "how high?" after the CRTC yells "jump." :canflag1:
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby yathink » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:46 pm

As to the evil which results from a censorship, it is impossible to measure it, for it is impossible to tell where it ends.
I can't give you a brain, but I can give you a diploma.
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Steve Sanderson » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:19 pm

yathink wrote:As to the evil which results from a censorship, it is impossible to measure it, for it is impossible to tell where it ends.


Yes...A quote from Jeremy Bentham .

"Censorship feeds the dirty mind more than the four-letter word itself."
Dick Cavett
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Russ_Byth » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:48 pm

Who do I sue for suffering as I've had a frickin song thread with the 'offending' word going through my head for 3 days now!
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Paul P » Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:21 am

Steve Sanderson wrote:
"Censorship feeds the dirty mind more than the four-letter word itself."
Dick Cavett


Now you know I'm not one to be picky, but technically, 'itself', has 6 letters.
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Steve Sanderson » Sat Jan 22, 2011 11:09 am

Paul P wrote:
Steve Sanderson wrote:
"Censorship feeds the dirty mind more than the four-letter word itself."
Dick Cavett


Now you know I'm not one to be picky, but technically, 'itself', has 6 letters.


Call Dick Cavett....
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Re: CRTC Asks CBSC to Change Decision

Postby Buckley » Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:42 pm

Paul P wrote:So Buckley wants stations to knuckle under and throw away 25 years of history so "everyone will be happy"

'Everyone', meaning the ONE person who complained?

Keep spinnin' the 'happy' version at those weddings Buckley!


250 letters or whatever it was isn't exactly a massive outpouring of support in a country with 33 million people in it either though.

And what history? As someone else pointed out, most stations have spent 25 years playing the censored version. I'm not really for censorship, but in this case it's now just taking a ball away from a baby that wasn't playing with it in the first place. Only now that the ball is gone is the baby crying, but if they had left it alone, the baby probably wouldn't have bothered touching it.

As for the context argument, I guess there's a question of whether it's best to save people from their own stupidity. You look at a show like All in the Family. It's funny to intelligent people because Archie is an ill-informed buffoon, he's the butt of the joke. That's the comedy. But do you know how many bigots and racists thought Archie was the man!? Context is fine, but I believe that 90% of people aren't capable of intelligent thought, so they're just going to hear the word and be shocked or say "yeah, tell them queers what's what!"

The other thing is... so when the CBSC says "through our own free will and not because the CRTC are bullies, we're overturning the ban", does that mean that other groups/artists can now use the word "faggot" in an ironic/self deprecating way in their songs and it's fine for radio play? If not, why? Just because this song is older? It doesn't make any sense. This isn't an argument about censorship because we already know that radio censors or is supposed to censor foul language, that's the rules, like em or not (and quite frankly I don't, but it's not the worst rule in the world). It's about consistency of their own rules, and how little this one song matters. It isn't as though this is some classic song that needs to be preserved, it's a pop-rock 80's tune that will be forgotten again by new generations until Tarantino uses it ironically in one of his movies (or Weird Al re-releases another special edition of UHF on DVD).
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