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Public Notice
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Ottawa, 13 October 1987
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Public Notice CRTC 1987-225
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The CAB's Revised Guidelines on Sex-Stereotyping
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For related documents see: Images of Women, Report on Self-Regulation by the Broadcasting and Advertising Industries for the Elimination of Sex-Role Stereotyping in the Broadcast Media, and Public Notices CRTC 1986-351 dated 22 December 1986, 1987-9 dated 9 January 1987, and 1987-205 dated 15 September 1987
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On 22 December 1986 in Public Notice CRTC 1986-351, the Commission issued its Policy on Sex-Role Stereotyping in the Broadcast Media. The policy was the result of the Commission's review and assessment of the trial period from 1982 to 1984, when broadcasters and advertisers used a self-regulatory process to deal with the issue of sex-role stereotyping in broadcast programs and advertisements. As part of its assessment of this period, the Commission invited members of the public to three public hearings in the spring of 1986 to present their views about the manner in which the broadcast and advertising industries were dealing with sex-role stereotyping.
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Among the different issues discussed at the hearings were the "Private Broadcasting Voluntary Guidelines on Sex-Role Stereotyping" which had been developed by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) in 1982. Many members of the public felt that the guidelines did not address all the issues involved in sex-role stereo-typing in broadcasting and that some of the terms used in the guidelines were vague or imprecise.
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Representatives of the broadcasting industry expressed the view that the guidelines were primarily intended to sensitize broadcasters to the issue. The CAB viewed the guidelines as "a framework from which to address change and a basis for discussion and heightened awareness about a very serious issue." The CAB also made a number of related commitments on behalf of its members. These are set out at pages 25 to 28 of Public Notice CRTC 1986-351.
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Among other commitments, the CAB undertook to:
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provide broadcasters with tools and directions to show them how to eliminate the offensive portrayal of persons;
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review the CAB guidelines to see whether additional guidelines are needed to cover troublesome areas which have surfaced since 1982 (e.g., rock videos);
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ensure the wording of the guidelines remains appropriate and relevant;
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include its [sex-role stereotyping] guidelines ... with other industry codes as reference in pre-clearance procedures for the advertising of feminine hygiene products and as reference in the current codes on advertising directed at children;
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reprint its pamphlet when the guidelines are finalized and [to] include sexist language guidelines; and
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review all complaints against the CAB guidelines and to point out to offending members which specific guidelines have been violated.
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In its findings about the effectiveness of industry self-regulation of sex-role stereotyping, the Commission at page 37 of Public Notice CRTC 1986-351 noted that it considers the guidelines
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to be excellent statements of the principles underlying industry commitment to reduce and eventually eliminate sex-role stereotyping. However, there is room for improvement to help ... broadcasters ... continue their efforts in reducing sex-role stereotyping. The guidelines would benefit from the addition of definitions and, in some cases, from the creation of new guidelines to deal with new issues (such as rock videos), as suggested by the CAB ... [itself]. Concentration of effort on three or four of the most easily measurable guidelines, or on up to five of the elements of the guidelines as the CAB suggested, could ensure demonstrable progress before the next monitoring study is done.
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In summarizing its expectations and recommendations, the Commission asked the CAB at page 47 of the same Public Notice to:
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take immediate steps to review the present guidelines in consultation with public representatives selected by the CAB and knowledgeable of issues relating to sex-role stereotyping. The revised guidelines should be submitted to the CRTC for acceptance by 1 April 1987.
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The review should add definitions of some terms (such as "contemporary family structure") and also add new guidelines where necessary (for example, for rock videos, etc.) .... The Commission also accepts the suggestion of the CAB that up to five critical areas be initially identified as targets for research and as measurements for change over three years (areas such as the number of women as experts and commentators, voiceovers excluding advertising, women as hosts and anchors, and the use of non-sexist language).
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The Commission also announced at pages 52 and 53 of the Notice its intention to impose conditions of licence requiring adherence to the CAB's self-regulatory guidelines as amended from time to time and accepted by the Commission. The Commission has since imposed adherence to these guidelines as conditions of licence in decisions granting or renewing broadcasting licences. Once the revised guidelines are accepted by the Commission, they will be referred to as "The Broadcasting Industry's Self-Regulatory Code on Sex-Role Stereotyping", and broadcasters will be required to adhere to them.
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In response to a CAB request, the Commission in Public Notice CRTC 1987-45 agreed to postpone to 31 May 1987 the deadline for submission of the revised guidelines, and subsequently agreed to a further postponement to 30 June 1987.
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On 19 June 1987 the CAB submitted the revised guidelines to the Commission within its "Voluntary Code Regarding Sex-Role Portrayal in Television Programming" (the "Television Code") and "Voluntary Code Regarding Sex-Role Portrayal in Radio Programming" (the "Radio Code").
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The Commission now invites written comment regarding the above-noted guidelines contained in the Television Code (Attachment 1) and the Radio Code (Attachment 2) submitted by the CAB. For comparison purposes, the original (1982) CAB guidelines are also appended (Attachment 3).
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Interested parties who wish to comment are invited to address any or all aspects of the revised self-regulatory guidelines on sex-role stereotyping submitted by the CAB. They may also wish to examine the CAB Codes in light of the issues raised in Public Notice CRTC 1987-9, "Guidelines for Developing Industry Standards", which were reiterated in Public Notice CRTC 1987-205, "An Approach to Industry-Administered Standards: A Broadcast Council". In addition, they may wish to respond to the following questions:
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1. Do all or part of the new Codes respond to the Commission's request for improvement to the guidelines, as noted in Public Notice CRTC 1986-351?
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2. Since the Codes include several sections (such as General Principles, Guidance, Criteria for Assessment) in addition to the guidelines themselves, what should be their relationship to the guidelines in the Commission's current regulatory framework?
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3. Is the wording of the Codes sufficiently clear to permit easy and certain interpretation and enforcement?
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Inasmuch as the CAB is responsible for drawing up the Codes, and in order to maximize public input in the process, the Commission -- before ruling on the acceptability of the Codes -- invites the CAB to examine the public file and to make any modifications to the Codes the CAB may deem appropriate in light of the submissions elicited by this notice.
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Comments should be submitted in writing by 13 November 1987 to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2.
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Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
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