CENSORSHIP ... and by a foreign NATION?

CTV (and by virtue of being its boss, BellMedia) - you WUSS - the Saudis whine and cry and bully you and you back down???  An ad which labels Saudi oil as the "unethical" choice in view of their poor record with womens' rights (or lack thereof) was pulled at the last moment when the Saudis made threats and created a scene.  At EthicaOil.org - the full article.

This is a brazen act of domestic political interference by a foreign dictatorship that neither understands nor respects the rights of women or freedom of speech,” said Alykhan Velshi, executive director of EthicalOil.org, a grassroots advocacy organization that educates consumers about their choice between ethical oil from Canada’s oil sands and conflict oil from dictatorships like Saudi Arabia. “Each time we buy Saudi conflict oil we are funding their oppression – and now their attempts at Saudi-style censorship of Canadian TV. This is the ad Saudi Arabia doesn’t want Canadians to see.”

WTF?

A FOREIGN nation decides what CTV viewship is 'allowed' to see?

Kudos to Sun News Network for taking up the gauntlet and fighting this outrageous curtailment of our Canadian commitment to free speech.  See that story here.

Social Mange has an excellent rant here about this.

I was also encouraged to see that Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is not taking this outrageous curtailment of freedom of speech sitting down:

"Apparently (the Saudi) government has threatened Canadian broadcasters if they run a particular ad by a Canadian non-profit, non-governmental organization," Kenney said during a stop in Brampton, Ont. "Canada is a country that is a champion of freedom of speech. That is a constitutional right. And we don't take kindly to foreign governments threatening directly or indirectly Canadian broadcasters or media for giving voice to freedom of speech."

As noted by SM - frankly, I have a HUGE issue with the Alberta oil sands and their undeniable impact on the environment (in a very negative way).  The reality that Alberta has refused to address the adverse environmental effect of its oil sands is NOT the issue here, however. The issue is the right Canadians have to their opinions, a right to talk and discuss those opinions, a right that is entrenched in our Canadian constitution.

And CTV backs DOWN???  SHAME on you! BOYCOTT CTV and make your views known; don't just turn them off, but pick up your 'pen', flex your fingers and COMPLAIN:

Email:  •CTV Programming:
programming@ctv.ca



By mail/phone:

Contact Information here:

CTV Television Network
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 9, Station 'O,'
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
M4A 2M9

Bell Media
Mailing Address:
299 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5V 2Z5

Telephone: (416) 384-5000
TTY/TDD: 1-800-461-1542