Sun News elicits most Canadian Broadcast Standards Council complaints in history

[nakedgord]

"What happened to changing the damn channel? "

In theory I agree with you but that doesn't work in practice for many Canadians since they've been forced to financially support this channel as part of their packages on Shaw, Shaw Direct and other providers as well as the childish open campaign Sun has had against Bell to force them on a tier.

If they were burning up their airwaves where there was public outcry to watch the station (and not this astroturfed outcry where Sun shills on air for viewers, even if they don't sub to Bell, to call and e-mail the office of the Bell CEO) that'd be one thing but there isn't.

I faced a similar situation where Cogeco has a bunch of church channels everyone is forced to pay for on digital basic and it was one of the reasons I don't have cable any longer. It's bad enough I had to pay to support sports programming but I actually morally oppose what the church channels were doing yet my only choice was to stop supporting channels I ideologically support like HBO to "change the channel"

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by trask

Instead we get these knuckleheads who decide they want to complain

And now you're complaining when you could have just gone on to a different thread! (Irony intended)

If consumers don't like what they see to be unfair reporting, they have every right to complain.

As for Ms. Erickson, she was a CBC B.C. reporter for quite awhile covering events and stories from outside the Lower Mainland or Victoria. She became a blonde during that time too.

[MoreDB]

This former Sunshine Girl is a terrible interviewer, not to mention unsophisticated and combatitive. No wonder she does not understand the arts or their role in shaping culture - something that Canada is not excactly blessed with an abundance of.

Trying, and failing badly, to make a connection between "compassion" and the Canadian soldiers dying in Iraq, was not only a stretch, but was a disgusting insult. This ditz was merely pandering to the lowest of intellects in her audience, and this comment alone could have instigated many of the complaints.

Did the host have an attack of "Blondeitis". A few more, and she might get a promotion - back to Sunshine Girl.

[travisc]

This is the greatest thing that could happen to Sun News, are you kidding? If anything, this just increased her job security.

[riffer]

No real opinion on this, but I don't think someone reading Margie Gillis' Facebook page then complaining qualifies as a "viewer":

https://www.facebook.com/notes/margi...50207638206501

Regardless, if you want to provide your opinion to the CBSC, she has kindly posted instructions.

Here is the follow up from Sun News:

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/f.../1032353458001

[nakedgord]

Interesting - she even has a list on her Facebook of advertisers to contact and boycott for buying time on Sun. I was expecting something like that to happen but not quite so soon.

This is the greatest thing that could happen to Sun News, are you kidding? If anything, this just increased her job security.

I respectfully disagree. Although I'm a progressive I watch Sun News but have to turn the channel from her show not because of politics but just because she's so annoying.

I'm actually watching Sun right now and despite disagreeing with the politics Alex Person and Pat Bolland (mid morning show hosts) are entertaining and friendly.

[hugh]

In theory I agree with you but that doesn't work in practice for many Canadians since they've been forced to financially support this channel as part of their packages on Shaw, Shaw Direct and other providers as well as the childish open campaign Sun has had against Bell to force them on a tier.

Agreed. As long as you are feeding off the public trough, the rules are different.

IMO, I am glad when people get upset and angry over such boorish ignorant behavior. I'm a firm believer in "civil society" and encourage citizens to fight back against this type of behavior.

[JesseJ]

Originally Posted by hugh

Youtube Video has 8,700 views so I'm sure that some watched that.

What I find ironic here is that Krista's job is dependent on the massive amounts of government handouts and special priveledges given to her employer (Quebecor) for its newspapers, radio, tv stations etc.

People in glass houses really shouldn't throw rocks.

+1
This station was almost a no-go without some Govt support.

[trask]

The Sun channel isn't getting a lot of financial support from the government and compared to the CBC...well lets leave it at that so we don't stray too far off topic.

Stampeder,

The difference is, this is a forum where discussion on this issue is encouraged. I didn't watch a channel, decide I didn't like a womans style, and then complain to a govt. agency about it. If you don't like something, don't watch it. Complaining because you think an interviewer was mean to an artist eating from the taxpayer trough is no different than complaining because you think a TV show or movie is too violent. It's this belief by too many people that they should control what constitutes morally and quality Television. I'm sick of people bitching for the sake of bitching. Nobody is forcing you to watch a channel, and the amount people are paying for Sun News is pennies compared to other ones they are forced to pay for. As I said, I don't watch it, but find it reprehensible that people watch it willingly and then complain about the content. It makes no sense, and I agree that this is actually helping the channel gain more viewers.

[stampeder]

In the spirit of Canada Day: complaining is not just something people feel like doing, nor is it something that others should complain about - it is a constitutional right. Erickson's behaviour was execrable, fully deserving of complaint. Simply changing the channel is fine for some, but a cop-out for others.

MoreDB, Erickson has been a broadcaster for years as I've mentioned, then did a cameo Sunshine Girl appearance as a PR stunt when Sun News was starting up. She looks different than when she started out.

Fascinating that Erickson got her broadcasting break thanks to the CBC, meaning that she owes all of her "success" to the Canadian taxpayer. As Hugh has pointed out, her employer, Quebecor, benefits in manifold ways from government-sponsored largesse and corporate welfare, but I don't think she'll be waving her arms at Pierre Karl Péladeau about it any time soon. As I say, I love irony.

[trask]

Stampeder,

Erickson's behaviour was execrable, fully deserving of complaint.

In your opinion it was. To others, it was not. The difference here is, she did nothing to warrant a complaint other than rubbing some people the wrong way with her interviewing style. She didn't swear, drop her clothes, physically assault her guest etc. This is simply people who don't like her personality and style, complaining about it to a govt. agency which is ludicrous. If you don't like it, come on a forum like this and have at her. To report it to an agency and deem it not worthy of being on Television is a whole different animal. It's a free country last I checked and if you don't like what somebody is saying you don't have to listen to them. That's the problem here. Busy bodies who want to impart their views on everybody else. Yeah they have the right to complain; too bad they feel the need to complain about something as trivial as this.

[Wiremonkey]

trask;
If the entity in question (Sun News) is covered by the CBSC oversight therefore it is any Canadians right to complain if they feel the material or its presentation was objectionable.

With all due respect Sir or Madame, it’s not about you. Stampeder has every right to have an opinion and to express it. Everyone has that same right. That opinion if appropriate can be, and in this case for several thousand was, directed at the CSBC. The numbers alone would make this seem to be legitimate by any measure.

We need more BS right wing news and media in Canada like we need higher taxes. IMO, people on the right only seem to appreciate art for one thing, an investment. Funding to the arts is often the first thing to be cut when a right wing government gets to feeling fiscally threatened, right after social services to children and the marginalised.

[Tridus]

Originally Posted by trask

Stampeder,



In your opinion it was. To others, it was not. The difference here is, she did nothing to warrant a complaint other than rubbing some people the wrong way with her interviewing style. She didn't swear, drop her clothes, physically assault her guest etc. This is simply people who don't like her personality and style, complaining about it to a govt. agency which is ludicrous. If you don't like it, come on a forum like this and have at her. To report it to an agency and deem it not worthy of being on Television is a whole different animal. It's a free country last I checked and if you don't like what somebody is saying you don't have to listen to them. That's the problem here. Busy bodies who want to impart their views on everybody else. Yeah they have the right to complain; too bad they feel the need to complain about something as trivial as this.

First of all, the CBSC isn't a government agency. It would be really nice if people complaining about "the government" took a minute to first understand if what they're complaining about is actually part of the government or not.

Second of all, it's not a "free country", when it comes to having a broadcast license. You're required to follow certain rules. You're required to follow more rules when you voluntarily join the CBSC, as Quebecor has.

Third, the CBSC is there to handle complaints. The entire point of it is that if someone doesn't think a broadcast was within CBSC standards, they have every right to complain to the CBSC about it. That's why the CBSC exists. That doesn't mean the complaints are valid, and the CBSC hasn't ruled yet. (Stephane Dion's infamous ATV interview was a case where the CBSC ruled against ATV for breaching ethics, but not all complaints are found to be valid.) It's pretty clear in this case the complaint numbers were spiked by people asking their friends to complain, but if the CBSC does its job correctly the number of complaints won't affect the investigation.

Finally... this whole thing is highly amusing considering Quebecor is trying to get hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to build an arena so millionaires can play hockey, from a "journalist" (and I use the term very loosely) who got into the industry on the taxpayer funded CBC and who now works on a network that tried for months to get the CRTC to use government power to force cable companies to carry their station no matter if it was wanted or not.

For them to scream about government arts funding is such a joke that it's no wonder Sun TV has less credibility then the National Enquirer.

[stampeder]

Complaints about Erickson's poor behaviour in that interview are merited, and no amount of your complaining will stop complainers, trask. Don't you see that by excoriating complainers you are aiming squarely at yourself!!!?

I would add that the toxic cauldron of that type of interview is brewed by producers and other flunkies too, so Erickson gets only part of the blame.

[trask]

Wiremonkey you are arguing from an anti right political position and thus are not objective. That is not what this thread is about and should have no bearing on this topic.

Tridus, you are right it is not a govt. agency. I was jumping the gun on that one and moving on to the next step these complaints go in if they are deemed to be serious enough. As to the free country statement, I'm not talking about a broadcasting license. I'm talking about an individuals right to watch what they want, and not watch what they don't like. This interview solicited complaints from a bunch of bleeding hearts who didn't like the poor dancer being called on the carpet for taking money from Taxpayers. That is a political position, not one based on broadcast standards. Again as I said, the interviewer did nothing wrong except upset people who want to give taxpayers money to the Arts. The compaints are fundamentally off base because no broadcast ethics or codes were broken. It comes down to an "I don't like that mean lady" complaint which is a joke.

Stampeder,

Again, you don't seem to understand the purpose of a forum and the difference between it, and the Standards council. I am responding to what I believe are frivilous complaints by people who simply don't like somebody. I am doing so in a forum where others like yourself are complaining from the other end of the spectrum. Neither side is absolutely right or wrong but we are in a place where discussion of it is encouraged. I contend that the people who felt the need to complain about something this trivial, should have come to a place like this to blow off steam instead of trying to portray it as some sort of breach of ethics. The fact you say the complaints were merited does not make it so. It's called an opinion, and mine is contrary to yours. You obviously don't like the woman, so I suggest you take my earlier suggestion and not watch her. It's a much more logical and easier solution than ranting about how mean that lady on Sun News is to the CBSC.