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Public Notice
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Ottawa, 28 December 1990
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Public Notice CRTC 1990-114
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Review of Policy on Sex-Role Stereotyping
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Related documents: "Images of Women: Report of the Task Force on Sex-Role Stereotyping in the Broadcast Media" (1982); "Sex-Role Stereotyping in the Broadcast Media: A Report on Industry Self-Regulation" (January 1986); Public Notices CRTC 1986-351 dated 22 December 1986 -- "Sex-Role Stereotyping in the Broadcast Media: CRTC Policy Statement", 1988-159 dated 22 September 1988 -- "The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council" and 1990-99 dated 26 October 1990 -- "Industry Guidelines for Sex-Role Portrayal".
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I. BACKGROUND
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In 1979 the federal government published Towards Equality for Women, a national action plan to promote the equality of women in Canadian society and eliminate discrimination. In response, the CRTC formed a Task Force to develop guidelines and policy recommendations to ensure a more positive and realistic portrayal of women in the broadcast media. The Task Force issued its report, entitled Images of Women, in 1982. The report contained recommendations on ways to improve the portrayal of women in Canadian broadcasting. One of these proposed a two-year trial period of self-regulation for both the broadcasting and advertising media, following which an assessment would be made of its effectiveness in the framework of public accountability.
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The Task Force also recommended that the Commission monitor stations and assess their programming against the sex-role stereotyping guidelines established by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Advertising Advisory Board (AAB).
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In response, the Commission contracted with an independent research firm to conduct an analysis of the programming content of a sample of radio and television stations in the fall of 1984. The results of this analysis were initially published in 1985.
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II. POLICY ON SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPING
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The Commission published its assessment of the effectiveness of self-regulation in Public Notice CRTC 1986-351 "Sex-Role Stereotyping in the Broadcast Media: CRTC Policy Statement". The statement cited the various initiatives undertaken by the broadcasting and advertising industries during the two-year self-regulation period, outlined the findings of the content analysis and other studies on sex-role portrayal and presented a summary of representations made at a series of public hearings held in April 1986.
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While acknowledging that "considerable work [had] been done to sensitize and educate the industry and the public to the issue", the Commission concluded that "self-regulation [had] been only partially successful and that further action [was] necessary".
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The policy statement also set out the commitments with regard to sex-role stereotyping made by the broadcasting and advertising industries at the public hearings, and recommended initiatives that the Commission, the CAB, the CBC and the Canadian Advertising Foundation (CAF) should undertake.
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The following summarizes the Commission's ongoing activities in relation to sex-role stereotyping:
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i. The Commission maintains an internal committee on sex-role stereotyping. The function of the committee is to oversee the implementation of the commitments made by the broadcasting and advertising industries at the 1986 hearings and the recommendations set out in Public Notice CRTC 1986-351.
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ii. The Commission meets on an annual basis with the CAB, the CBC and the CAF to discuss the efforts they have undertaken to eliminate sex-role stereotyping and to hear their yearly plans for continued progress. These parties are also asked to submit annual written reports in this regard.
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iii. The Commission reviews semi-annual reports on the disposition of complaints about sex-role stereotyping submitted by the CAB, the CBC and the CAF.
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iv. The Commission requires adherence to the industry guidelines on sex-role stereotyping as a condition of licence for radio and television licensees.
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v. The Commission requires all broadcasters at licence renewal time to describe the efforts they are making to address sex-role stereotyping and to report on their policies regarding sex-role stereotyping.
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vi. The Commission reports on the Internal Committee on Sex-Role Stereotyping and relevant industry activities in its annual report.
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The 1986 notice also recommended that the CAB, the CBC and the AAB review their sex-role stereotyping guidelines. The CAF developed revised guidelines for the advertising industry in 1987. The CAB submitted revised guidelines that were approved by the Commission in Public Notice CRTC 1990-99 dated 26 October 1990. In that notice, the Commission asked the CBC to review its internal policy statement on sex-role stereotyping and file any revisions by 29 March 1991. The 1986 Notice also encouraged the CAB to develop a self-regulatory approach. The concept of a broadcast standards council had been discussed by the CAB at the April 1986 public hearings. In Public Notice CRTC 1988-159, the Commission endorsed in principle a proposal by the CAB to establish such a council, subject to a number of conditions being met.
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III. THE 1988 REPLICATION STUDY
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In 1986 the Commission indicated its intention to conduct a second content analysis as a follow-up to the 1984 study. The Commission hired an independent research firm to conduct the second study in 1988. The Department of Communications and the CAF, in accordance with its commitment during the 1986 public hearings, contributed to the funding of the study.
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The objective of the 1988 study was to assess what degree of change had occurred in the portrayal of women and men in the broadcast media over the four-year period. In order to allow comparison between the findings of these two studies, the 1988 study replicated the design and sample of the 1984 study as closely as possible. The Commission has subsequently contracted with an independent consultant to assist it in interpreting the findings.
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The findings of the 1988 study are contained in five reports: The Portrayal of Gender in Canadian Broadcasting: Summary Report 1984-1988; The Portrayal of Gender in Canadian Television Programming 1984-1988; The Portrayal of Gender in Canadian Radio Programming 1984-1988; The Portrayal of Gender in Canadian Television Advertising 1984-1988; and The Portrayal of Gender in Canadian Radio Advertising 1984-1988. These reports are available to the public at the Commission's head office and regional offices and at the Toronto Regional Office of the Department of Communications. The addresses are provided in the appendix to this notice.
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IV. REVIEW OF THE POLICY ON SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPING
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With the completion of the 1988 replication study, the Commission has met all of the commitments set out in the 1986 notice. It notes that the commitments made by the CAB, the CBC and the CAF and the Commission's expectations of these parties have also generally been fulfilled.
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The findings of the 1988 study will enable the Commission to assess the extent to which change has taken place with respect to the portrayal of women and men by the broadcasting and advertising media. The Commission considers that this assessment will also provide an appropriate context in which to review the on-going practices and policies with respect to sex-role portrayal and in which to establish directions for the future.
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To aid the Commission in evaluating its policy on sex-role stereotyping, it invites comments on the findings of the 1988 replication study and on the various CRTC initiatives outlined in this notice. Comments should address the effectiveness of the current policies as they affect programming and advertising content, and the Commission's role in this regard. In particular, the Commission invites suggestions on ways to ensure the presentation of fair and equitable sex-role portrayal in programming and advertising content in the broadcast media.
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The Commission notes that the Broadcast Standards Council is being dealt with in a separate public process and will, therefore, not be included in this review.
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Comments should be addressed to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2. The deadline for receipt of comments is 15 March 1991.
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Allan J. Darling
Secretary General
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APPENDIX
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The 1988 replication study is available for public consultation at the following locations:
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Head Office
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CRTC Information Services
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Ottawa, Ontario
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K1A 0N2
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(819) 997-0313
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TDD (819) 994-0423
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Fax (819) 994-0218
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Regional Offices
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Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3K8
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(902) 426-7997
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TDD (902) 426-6997
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Montréal, Quebec H2Z 1X4
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(514) 283-6607
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TDD (514) 283-8316
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Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B3
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(204) 983-6306
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TDD (204) 983-8274
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Vancouver, British Columbia
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V6Z 2G7
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(604) 666-2111
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TDD (604) 666-0778
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Department of Communications Toronto Regional Office:
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55 St. Clair Avenue East, 9th Floor
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Toronto, Ontario M4T 1M2
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(416) 973-8215
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