NUNAVUT
As complaints were mounting that slanderous and obscene language was sometimes heard on community radio stations, radio announcers will soon have to take a mandatory course.
Mayors were receiving complaints people were getting on the radio and conducting themselves in an irresponsible manner with respect to slander, libel, obscene language and sometimes hate statements, explained Matthew Ayres of the Municipal Training Organization. He said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission also got complaints.
"The training course is going to be a college-accredited online course in Inuktitut (and English) for radio announcers," he said. "They are going to have to pass this course before they go on the radio station to ensure each radio announcer is aware of the rights and obligations under CRTC for public airwaves."
Use radio responsibly is the message Municipal Training Organization will spread to the communities through brochures and public service announcements, reminding everyone hate statements, obscene language and slander can not be aired on the radio.
Radio announcers will have 30 days to complete the course, which will first be offered in June or this summer as the course is still under development, explained Ayres.
"It's an issue that needs to be addressed because there are some southern standards that don't really conform with the Northern culture," said Ayres.
"For example, we would have younger radio announcers that would feel trepidation about cutting off an elder who called in that was saying some things they shouldn't be. We need to educate those younger radio announcers of their responsibilities when they're on public airwaves."
The Baffin Mayors' Forum had asked last year for the training, a request reiterated by the Nunavut Association of Municipal Administrators, he added.
The Baffin mayors were meeting in Iqaluit March 5 to 7 and the forum's chairman, Sakiasie Sowdlooapik, said Ayres did a good presentation.
"The radio announcers need to be more aware of how ... (they) should be announcing in their own communities," said Sowdlooapik.
Mike Webster of the Kugluktuk Radio Society said the course and public service announcements are a great initiative.
"It's a great idea," said Webster. "We've dealt with that issue here and I've experienced it in other communities and certainly heard about it in other communities. It's basically a management issue."
