“We believe that the CRTC has exceeded its authority with respect to the independence of the public broadcaster,” it said in a statement. “Its decision of 29 June is a threat because the Commission tried to give itself the power to interfere with journalistic independence. “This was a serious mistake. We simply do not accept the CRTC’s interference with journalism in Canada.” The statement comes after the CRTC ordered the public broadcaster last month to apologize in writing for using the N-word on its airwaves. The word was used during an on-air discussion on August 17, 2020, regarding a petition calling for the dismissal of a Concordia University professor who had cited the title of a famous book by Pierre Vallières as containing the N-word. A reporter and a commentator repeated the offending word several times during this 2020 debate. This sparked a complaint to the CRTC by a Black Montreal resident. The CRTC then ruled that Radio-Canada did not implement all necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the N-word on its audience. It also said that the broadcast of the program segment “did not provide programming of a high standard and did not contribute to strengthening the cultural and social fabric and reflecting the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada.” In its statement Wednesday, CBC/Radio-Canada said the regulator’s own dissenting views note that it does not have the authority or jurisdiction to make such a decision. “We must invoke the CRTC’s jurisdiction over matters that should be the domain of our news leaders. Journalistic independence is vital to all of us,” the statement said. CBC/Radio-Canada acknowledged that while the N-word was used in a journalistic context, it was harmful to some members of the public and employees. “Some of our journalists have expressed the view that this is purely a matter of free speech, but we all know that words can hurt and should be used with care. We therefore apologize to the listener who made the complaint.” the statement said. “The use of this word is harmful to many of our audience and to our own employees, and for that, we are deeply sorry.” He said he also adds a warning to the program where it appears online to prepare listeners. Radio-Canada will also launch an internal review to examine its policies and standards regarding potentially harmful language. “We do these things because we think it’s the right thing to do, not because the CRTC tells us to,” the statement said.
