CTV Gets Warning Shot Across Her Bow

According to the Financial Post, Canadian cable operators have filed a formal complaint with broadcast authorities against CTV regarding their recent advertising campaign. They are accusing CTV of violating journalistic principals by only airing their side of the story, constantly. Any avid couch potato will have seen their ads running 24/7 on each station the network owns. They have also inserted the pro cable tax ads into all their news casts. Presumably this is what has gotten cable companies irked. They have filed a letter with the CRTC asking them to take "immediate action". I'm definitely siding with the cable providers on this one. CTV is certainly not going to win many friends in the public. One thing I've come to learn is that Canucks hate it when anyone tries to raise the costs of their holy trinity: Tim's Coffee, beer, and TV. When Canadians hear cable TV and bill increases in the same sentences, they tend to get riled up.

I had considered filing a complaint myself with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, of which CTV is a member. Their fee hike commercials do seem to violate clauses 6 and 7 of the CBSC's code of ethics which require balanced coverage of issues. Being a journalism student who will be looking for work in a year's time, that's probably not the wisest thing for me to do. Perhaps my readers could be persuaded into doing so. It's gone beyond simply a matter of money to something I would equate to as deceptive propaganda and extortion by this network. CTV is hosting an open house this Saturday (May 23rd) so that would also be a good platform to politely voice concerns about their methods.

Source: Financial Post