OTTAWA—The CRTC is proposing a regulatory change that would give Canadian TV and radio stations more leeway to broadcast false or misleading news.
Current regulations contain a blanket prohibition on broadcasting “any false or misleading news.”
The Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission wants to considerably narrow the scope of that prohibition.
It is proposing to ban broadcasters from knowingly airing false or misleading news which is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public.
Communications law expert Michael Geist says the proposed ban is far too limited, doing nothing to address all kinds of harm that can be caused by false news, other than to life and limb.
The CRTC says the change was requested by a parliamentary committee which feared the current sweeping prohibition was too broad and vague and wouldn’t stand up to a challenge under the Charter of Rights.
Current regulations contain a blanket prohibition on broadcasting “any false or misleading news.”
The Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission wants to considerably narrow the scope of that prohibition.
It is proposing to ban broadcasters from knowingly airing false or misleading news which is likely to endanger the lives, health or safety of the public.
Communications law expert Michael Geist says the proposed ban is far too limited, doing nothing to address all kinds of harm that can be caused by false news, other than to life and limb.
The CRTC says the change was requested by a parliamentary committee which feared the current sweeping prohibition was too broad and vague and wouldn’t stand up to a challenge under the Charter of Rights.