Trust. Integrity. Reputation.
June - 2007Group not yet satisfied with Rogers' apology
By Paul Barnsley
Windspeaker Staff Writer
OTTAWASome might say that Larry the Cable Guy is fortunate he doesn't work for CBS, the U.S. network that fired radio host Dick Imus on April 12 for uttering a racial slur on the air that denigrated African-American members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
But, based on the response they've received to their complaints so far, some members of the Ottawa Native Concerns Committee (ONCC) aren't sure Rogers Broadcasting would have been so quick to discipline someone who used a disparaging term on Canadian airwaves that was directed at Native women.
To be clear: Larry the Cable Guy's guest spot on Ottawa radio station CHEZ 96 on Dec. 27 has resulted in an apology from Rogers.
Larry the Cable Guy was born Daniel Lawrence Whitney in Pawnee City, Nebraska in 1963. He bills himself as a blue collar, red-necked comic and adopts a southern U.S. accent for his act. After joking on air that one of his favorite upcoming movies was about a Native prostitute and was called "Squaw Shank Redemption," a line that broke up the hosts and was replayed several times as part of a "best of" promotion of the Doc and Woody morning show, his comments prompted several calls and letters of protest.
The first letter of protest, dated Feb. 15, was sent to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecom-munications Commission (CRTC) the federal body charged with responsibility for licensing broadcast stations. The CRTC noted that the complaint had been received too late for it to take any action because federal regulations only require broadcasters to store their logger tapes for 28 days. But the CRTC forwarded the complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), the broadcasting industry's voluntary self-regulating organization.
The CBSC also claimed to be unable to do anything due to the late date of the complaint, but did forward the complaint to Rogers Broadcasting, corporate owner of CHEZ 106.
But whether the CRTC or CSBC knew it or not, Rogers still had tapes of the program in question. Alain Strati, Rogers' vice-president of business and regulatory affairs, wrote a very detailed three-page letter of apology to ONCC member Jessica Dumont on March 23, well after the end of the 28-day window.
"From the outset, let me be very clear," Strati wrote. "As the owner and operator of CHEZ, we apologize for the comments made by Larry the Cable Guy during the program in question."
The Rogers vice-president did not dispute any part of the ONCC complaint, acknowledging in detail, without any reservation, exactly what happened.
"We agree that the use of the term was completely unnecessary," he wrote. "We recognize its derogatory nature, as well as the negative portrayal implications its use will have."
He said it was not typical of the programming on CHEZ.
"Although the programming style of our station is certainly humorous and light-hearted, this particular exchange was one that should not have made it to air. Even more so, it should not have later been used as a promotional piece. We should have exercised better judgment," he wrote. "If we have offended you, or caused you inconvenience or embarrassment, please accept our sincerest apologies. Please be assured that we have taken steps to ensure that this type of error does not occur again. We have discussed the matter with the station staff at CHEZ and with the morning show hosts in question."
He then explained that Rogers was involved in a number of initiatives with Aboriginal broadcasting organizations, such as the Strategic Alliance of Broadcasters for Aboriginal Reflections, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta, this publication's parent company.
While some might see that apology as effusive and genuine, the ONCC sees several shortcomings in it.
Suzanne Crantz, another ONCC member, responded to Strati's letter with one of her own on April 3. She noted that CHEZ staff never responded to complaints addressed directly to them. She told Windspeaker that anything short of dismissal of the offending on-air personalities and others involved in the airing of the offending segment would be seen by some as lenient.
"In light of the current fate of Don Imus, American radio and television host for CBS, and the overwhelming public outrage of his racial slur against the Afro-American community i.e. 'nappy-headed hos,' we are wondering why Canadian broadcasters are seemingly allowed to get away with equally discriminatory and vulgar put downs of its Aboriginal peoples," she said.
But the ONCC is willing to work with Rogers and station staff to come to a meeting of minds on the issue.
"The Ottawa Native Concerns Committee is happy that Rogers has apologized to Jessica Dumont on behalf of CHEZ-FM," Crantz wrote. "However, Ms. Dumont is only one Aboriginal woman to whom an apology has been made."
She pointed out that while only Rogers knows for certain just how many people heard the offending remark, the station is popular and the audience was undoubtedly large.
"Has Rogers, or CHEZ, considered that this audience is deserved of an apology as well?" she asked.
She later noted that ONCC is "still waiting to hear a response regarding what the radio station is prepared to do in order to make amends with Ottawa's Aboriginal community, the population at large and CHEZ-FM's listening public."
Crantz said her group wants a meeting with a Rogers representative and a CHEZ manager to discuss what it will take to complete the apology. In her letter she suggested several things: Aboriginal cultural sensitivity training for the people involved, an on-air apology, discussion of the issue in a high profile editorial opinion spot and a possible donation to a local Ottawa Aboriginal charity to be chosen by Rogers and CHEZ.
During a May 11 phone interview, Strati said his company is just following establish procedures for dealing with a public complaint, and the process is not yet complete.
"We're letting the CBSC process take its course," he said. "It really is the procedure that is followed for all complaints. It's just a matter of being consistent."
There is an appeal process available to complainants after the process is completed, he added.
But the possibility of an on-air apology is still available, he added.
"Oh, absolutely," he said. "We let the CBSC determine that. If it does determine that there is a violation, one of the things it may do is to specifically state that an on air apology is required as one of other things that it may deem appropriate.
More Windspeaker Articles