Journalistic Standards and Practices
APPENDIX B - RELATED CBC POLICIES
7. FREE TIME POLITICAL BROADCASTS 13
The CBC takes the position that, during a general election campaign, it is part of the mandate of the national public broadcaster and in the best interest of the democratic process to make periods of program time available to duly registered political parties in order that they may have an opportunity to explain directly the platform for which they are seeking the support of the electorate.
Between general elections the Corporation makes program time available to political parties represented in the House of Commons and the provincial legislatures so that they may explain their positions on issues of interest directly to the citizens they represent.
The following policy provides the framework for the equitable allocation of free program time to qualifying parties during general election campaigns and between such campaigns.
- "Program time" means periods of two minutes or longer. Free program time broadcasts will have a duration of two minutes or longer.
- The content of any free program time broadcast will be the full responsibility of the political party, being subject to the law, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulations and conditions of licence, and to CBC policy.
- Parties may not exchange periods on one language service or network for periods on another.
- The CBC will maintain the same ratio for the allocation of time among the parties on its French and English services and on its radio and television services.
- The CBC maintains its right to add additional free program time broadcasts to maintain equitable access during election or referendum campaign periods whenever it recognizes an imbalance has occurred.
- Parties are encouraged to produce their own free program time messages.
- The CBC does not grant free program time for federal, provincial or territorial by-election campaigns. Furthermore, the CBC does not offer free program time:
- to individual candidates during federal, provincial or territorial general elections;
- to municipal candidates or parties during municipal elections.
- During a federal referendum campaign, the CBC will follow the principles of its policy regarding federal general elections, subject to applicable federal legislation.
- During a provincial or territorial referendum campaign, the CBC will follow the principles of its policy regarding general provincial or territorial elections, taking into consideration provincial or territorial legislation.
- Between federal general elections, the CBC provides free network program time to the federal parties to which the House of Commons has accorded official party status and privileges in the conduct of parliamentary business.
- In every province, between provincial general elections, the CBC provides free program time on the provincial networks to qualifying political parties.
- During federal general election campaigns, the CBC will provide free program time to duly registered political parties in accordance with the requirements of the Canada Elections Act and the Broadcasting Arbitrator's Guidelines issued under the authority of the Act.
- During a provincial or territorial general election campaign, the CBC will make free program time available to qualifying political parties.
For more information on this policy, contact the Office of Programming Policies in Ottawa at (613) 288-6354.
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13. This is a summary of Programming Policy 1.5, CBC Policy Governing Free Time Political Broadcasts.
