Dear Ms. Gibbs: Thank you for your comments about the April 21 edition of W5. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your message.
The Commission's complaints process is detailed in a fact sheet which you may access by clicking here: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/INFO_SHT/G8.HTM You will note that one of the options available to us when handling complaints is referral to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC). This is the broadcasting industry's own self-regulating organization, which has been mandated to administer codes of conduct accepted by the CRTC. For example, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Code of Ethics contains clauses dealing with the broadcast coverage of news and controversial public issues.
Given the concerns you have raised, I have asked the CBSC to pursue the matter on your behalf. For more information on the Council, here's a link to its Web site: http://www.cbsc.ca/english/home.htm
When a broadcaster's licence is considered for renewal, notices inviting the public to comment are published in area newspapers and posted to our web site, and the Commission will take into account all interventions filed within the prescribed deadlines. In addition to the broadcast complaints process, the Commission has other options at its disposal that generally prove effective (e.g., adding specific conditions of licence, shortened licence terms, etc.). The licences for various CTV stations were renewed for a seven-year term last August. I have included a link to the relevant press release that describes some of the conditions, expectations and requirements included in the decisions: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/2001/R010802.htm
I hope these remarks and references are helpful and I thank you again for drawing your concerns to our attention.
Sincerely,
Elena Del Villano
CRTC Client Services
c.c.: CBSC
______________________________________________
You wrote:
I am formally complaining about the airing of such obviously politically-driven
and biased material as the April 21st, 2002 W-5 segment on the "detax movement"
in Canada. The irresponsibility demonstrated by such individuals as Jeff
Silverstein and Whey Chen, in producing this terribly reseearched and written
segment, and the CTV Network itself for allowing such government propaganda to
be aired on its network, must be investigated.
I am demanding an investigation.
I wish to oppose the renewing of CTV's license and request that you inform me
how I can oppose the renewal of their license. In fact, please inform me of the
procedure for demanding the revocation of its license. I can no longer sit idly
by as my supposed "independent news media" allows itself to be used as
instruments of social engineering. I expect unbiased reporting and to be
presented with all the facts, not sanitized versions of any situation or issue.
I will be boycotting all advertisers who support programming on the CTV network
as well.
Grounds for my actions:
You may or may not be aware of the facts that there is a Working Agreement
signed in 1992, and still current, between the Canada Customs and Revenue
Agency, the RCMP, and the Depoartment of Justice the effect of which is that any
(read all) persons who have allegedly "failed to file" income tax returns might
be branded by our government departments as a "security risk", part of
"organized crime", or even a "terrorist", and especially, at the very least,
someone who can be "seriously investigated" by the RCMP for whatever might be
pulled out of a hat.
The CTV show W-5 was made privy to material that has been compiled over many
many years, documenting the reasons behind a serious and on-going investigation
of the practices of the Ministry of National Revenue, under the guise of Revenue
Canada now know as the CCRA. This material is gathered by a rather segmented,
"concerned citizens group", across the nation, one of which is me.
The prosecution of persons merely for asking questions is the least of the
problem, although people ought to have been told about that.
The Constitutional issues raised by persons in Canada is the root, I say, of the
problem, and people ought to have been told about that.
The collusion between the DoJ and CCRA to withhold disclosure from the very
people they are prosecuting because of "privilege" is a big part of the problem,
and people ought to have been told about that.
The fact that the W-5 researchers and moderators would not give any assurances
as to the treatment of and interviews or video material that could have been
provided, to the many people across this nation who should have been heard,
ought to have been told to the public.
All of this was clearly provided to the show, and yet, they chose to make it a
campaign to tie "detaxers" to "McVeigh" and the Oklahoma bombing. How
appropriate, when the Liberal House of Commons is trying to push through Bills
that will curtail our Rights and Freedoms as guaranteed by the Canadian Bill of
Rights and the BNA Act, all in the name of terrorism.
The people of Canada were not told the whole story that was delievered into the
lap of Jeff Silverstein in boxes, cartons, videos and phone numbers. It was all
just sent back, some of it unopened.
I personally invited the show to do Part 2 and 3 until the whole story was told
- and I heard nothing.
I expect I will hear back from you.
Regards,
Sandra Gibbs
sandrag@wwdb.org
604-418-2483
Box 46 - 3398 Kingsway
Vancouver, BC V5R 5L2