December
Fourteen female students are gunned down at Montréal's École Polytechnique. This brutal act profoundly shocks Canadians and galvanizes their determination to act.
May
A group of young people presents federal Minister of Communications Marcel Masse with a petition containing 157,000 signatures urging the Canadian government to "enact rules to eliminate violent and war programming for children on television."
June
Perrin Beatty, Minister of Communications at that time, writes to the Chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requesting that the Commission study the possible links between violence on television and violence in society.
The CRTC commissions two studies on television violence.
February
The federal government launches the Family Violence Initiative, which identifies media violence as a major issue for further federal action. Health Canada leads the initiative, collaborating and consulting with federal departments and agencies and with national media agencies and Non-Government Organizations such as MediaWatch, and develops a Media Violence Action Plan (1992-1996). The major goals are to address media violence and its effects on children; and also the portrayal of women, and of violence against them, in the media.
May
The CRTC releases two studies on television violence. The first, Summary and Analysis of Various Studies on Violence and Television (conducted by Florian Sauvageau of the Institut québécois de recherche sur la culture at Laval University) provides an overview of how other countries are addressing the issue of television violence. The second, Scientific Knowledge about Television Violence, prepared by the CRTC's Television Programming Directorate, reviews over 200 scientific studies on the subject.
The CRTC calls on the broadcasting industry to develop the strongest possible voluntary code on television violence.
June
CRTC Chair Keith Spicer urges the Canadian cable industry to develop its own anti-violence strategy.
The National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (Health Canada) invites representatives from the Departments of Communications and Status of Women Canada to form a committee on Media Violence, reporting to the Interdepartmental Working Group on Family Violence. Membership in the subcommittee rapidly expands to include the CRTC, the National Film Board, Privy Council Office, Solicitor General, Department of Justice and Human Resources Development, as well as the Children's Bureau of Health Canada.
August
CRTC Chair asks provincial ministers, who are responsible for regulating video stores and cinemas, for information on their initiatives. These include warnings, film and video classification, and policies on renting to minors.
CRTC Chair writes to Canadian pay TV and specialty services urging them to join with broadcasters and cable companies in a new and urgent dialogue on television violence.
November
The International Colloquium on Violence in Television and Cinema is held in Montreal. The conference, hosted by the Centre québécois d'études sur les médias and supported by the Department of Communications, examines the issues surrounding violence, ethics and the media.
A petition with 1.3 million signatures is presented to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney by 13-year-old Virginie Larivière. Convinced that the influence of violent programming was a factor in the rape and murder of her young sister, Ms. Larivière's petition demands legislation banning all gratuitous violence on television.
The House of Commons refers the petition to the consideration of the Standing Committee on Communications and Culture.
The CRTC hosts informal meetings with the heads of pay TV, pay-per-view, specialty services, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) to explore initiatives against TV violence.
December
The CCTA announces that media violence will be the topic of its Community Channel Leadership Project, an outreach program bringing together cable programming staff and local citizens to develop media literacy initiatives.
CRTC Chair Spicer meets representatives of the Canadian Teachers' Federation, the Canadian Home and School Federation, the Canadian Advertising Foundation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the production community to explore cooperative efforts.
A quarterly newsletter is launched by the CRTC and distributed to anti-violence groups to start an ongoing exchange of ideas.
January
CRTC Chair meets 35 producers, writers and studio and network executives in Los Angeles to raise Canadian concerns.
February
A conference on television violence, Reclaiming Childhood: Responsible Solutions to TV Violence and Our Children is held in Toronto. The conference, sponsored by the C.M. Hincks Institute for Children's Mental Health, allows industry, educators, parents and the medical profession to find common ground. CRTC Chair Spicer underlines the need to balance protection of both children and free speech.
At the conference, the minister of communications announces the Government's five-point agenda to address the issue of violence on television: industry codes; public education; possible use of the government's influence as a major advertiser; international collaboration; and recognition of quality children's programming.
One result of the conference is the formation of the Action Group on Violence on Television (AGVOT). Members include representatives of the broadcasting, advertising and production industries. The CRTC and the Department of Communications sit as observers. The committee's mandate includes establishing stricter industry codes and television classification systems though discussions with parents' and teachers' groups.
March
The federal government's Advertising Management Group adopts a specific guideline to avoid booking advertising on programs containing scenes of gratuitous violence or explicit sex.
The Institute of Canadian Advertising recommends that its member agencies increase their knowledge and awareness of violent television shows, and include a "violence assessment" in the criteria they use to evaluate television buys.
April
Astral Communications announces that its pay television movie services will begin inserting a flashing white "V" in a red square as a viewer warning. The symbol appears before, and at half-hour intervals throughout, all films containing violent scenes.
In collaboration with the Department of Communications, AGVOT's organizing committee hosts an International Colloquium on Television Violence in Montreal. The colloquium attempts to determine what Canada can learn from the international experience in developing program classification systems, voluntary codes of conduct and viewer advisory measures.
May
The Commissioner of the National Film Board undertakes a cross-Canada tour of high schools and service clubs on the subject of cultural and media violence.
June
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Communications and Culture releases Television Violence: Fraying Our Social Fabric. The report follows a six-month review of television violence. It includes 27 recommendations for government action. The Committee endorses the basic tenets of the current approach, but suggests government legislation if industry self-regulation proves ineffective.
The Report of the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women, funded by the Canadian government, is released. It lists 88 recommendations on media violence alone.
July
The CRTC formally requests specific anti-violence action plans and codes from all sectors of the broadcasting industry by early December.
August
As part of its Media Violence Action Plan, Health Canada releases two studies: The Effects of Media Violence on Children and Gender and Violence in the Mass Media. To introduce the subject of media violence and stimulate discussion, a short animated film entitled Watching TV is also produced.
The CRTC participates in a U.S. television conference held in Los Angeles.
Canadian concerns and actions related to television violence are outlined by CRTC Chair at the International Institute of Communications (IIC) conference in Mexico.
September
AGVOT adopts a General Statement of Principles concerning television violence. Action group members agree to adhere to these principles and to develop individual action plans within 90 days.
October
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) Voluntary Code Regarding Violence in Television is formally accepted by the CRTC, conditional upon the inclusion of a satisfactory program classification system. Compliance with the code is made a condition of license renewal for all privately-owned conventional television stations and networks.
November
CRTC Chair addresses the CAB national convention. His address underlines the need for a sensitive balance between protecting children and protecting creative freedom.
A working session of national parent and education organizations, media literacy groups and industry representatives is hosted by the CRTC. A key outcome of this session is the National Film Board's agreement to create a national clearinghouse of information on media violence and media education.
December
Action plans and codes from all sectors of the broadcasting industry are received by the CRTC.
The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) sets up a task force to examine the problem of U.S. programming distributed by cable.
January
The CRTC hosts a working session of citizens' groups to exchange information about media violence and hear their assessments of actions to date.
The CAB voluntary code comes into effect and is administered by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), an independent organization established by private radio and television broadcasters to adjudicate complaints from the public.
February
CRTC Chair meets government and industry officials in Washington, as well as public interest advocacy groups concerned about television violence.
March
At the public hearing to renew its English and French TV network licenses, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) agrees to consolidate its internal guidelines on violence into a single code to be filed with the CRTC.
The Department of Canadian Heritage provides funding assistance to the Université Laval for the release of the Index of Violence on Canadian Television.
April
The issue of television violence is also raised with specialty and pay TV licensees at public hearings to renew existing licenses.
The CAB launches its Speak Out Against Violence campaign. Radio and television members of CAB provide $10-million-worth of free air time; while government departments, led by Canadian Heritage, fund the production of public service announcements on violence in society, including media violence, and a topical resource kit for the use of broadcasters and others.
The National Film Board of Canada funds a feasibility study and the first development phase for a Canadian clearinghouse on media violence and media education, as requested at the November 1993 CRTC meeting. This is the beginning of the Media Awareness Network.
The Minister of Justice tables draft legislation in the House of Commons proposing amendments to the Criminal Code and the Customs Tariff to prohibit the importation, sale and distribution of crime cards and board games to those under the age of 18. The Minister instructs the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to study the issue, examine the proposed draft amendment and report back to the House of Commons.
June
The Chair of the CRTC makes a presentation at an international forum on media violence. The conference, "TV Violence: The Canadian Example," is organized by the Centre d'études canadiennes at the Sorbonne in Paris. Tim Collings of Simon Fraser University, inventor of the V-chip, accompanies Mr. Spicer.
August
The Solicitor General releases a study entitled Weapons Use in Canadian Schools. The media are cited as an influence in students' perception of weapons as "cool," and the report recommends media education to counter this influence.
Health Canada's National Clearinghouse on Family Violence releases The Effects of Media Violence on Children, a fact sheet that includes tips for parents on managing television viewing. The fact sheet is distributed to parent organizations and parent-teacher associations.
September
Violence codes submitted by pay television and specialty programming services are reviewed by the CRTC.
October
The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) submits its action plan to the CRTC for approval. The plan includes support of V-chip technology, suggestions to deal with programming on American services imported by cable systems, and a public awareness strategy. The industry also agrees to apply the CAB's violence code to cable programming for community channels.
November
The Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs tables its report on crime cards and board games. The report sets out the Committee's proposals for legislative change. Several government departments make written submissions to the Committee. The Committee recommends against legislation to deal specifically with crime cards and board games, as these represent "only the tip of the iceberg." Instead, the Committee recommends that the obscenity provisions of the Criminal Code and Customs Tariff be amended to prohibit materials that have, as a dominant characteristic, "the undue exploitation of horror, cruelty or violence."
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) releases its first decision on a complaint about television violence. Investigating two complaints related to the children's program Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, broadcast by the viewers' local Global TV Station, the Council finds that the show violated several articles of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters own code.
YTV, a Canadian specialty service, and TVA, a Quebec-based private broadcaster, immediately pull the show from their program schedules. Global airs a modified version of the program provided by the show's Los Angeles producer. The original version of Power Rangers continues to air on foreign signals transmitted into Canada via cable. The show continues to air on other Canadian broadcasters since the CBSC decision is only binding for the station against which the complaints were registered (Global).
December
Shaw Cable systems of Edmonton undertakes a field trial of V-chip technology with Superchannel. The trial involves 80 homes in the Edmonton area.
The CRTC accepts The Pay Television and Pay-Per-View Programming Code Regarding Violence in Television Programming. In the case of each code, the Commission's acceptance remains conditional upon the inclusion of a satisfactory system of program classification, once such a system is developed. The code is essentially identical to the CAB Violence Code.
January
The Coalition for Responsible Television (CRTV), a broad-based alliance of people and organizations that monitors existing television violence guidelines announces its 1-900 number for Canadians to express their concerns about television violence. The Coalition undertakes to convey all messages to the CRTC.
The CRTC announces that operators of video game programming services delivered by cable TV will not require licenses provided they meet a number of key criteria, including adherence to the CAB violence code.
February
The Department of Canadian Heritage releases Television Violence: A Review of the Effects on Children of Different Ages, a review of the literature on the age-related effects of television violence.
March
The Association of Television Educators of Canada (ATEC), with funding from the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence (Health Canada), completes a five-part series examining the portrayal of women and violence against women in the media. The series, Mixed Messages, is broadcast by educational networks in 1995.
The National Crime Prevention Council issues a press release, calling the recommendations contained in a report by the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs impractical and ineffective. The report recommends amendments to the Criminal Code's existing obscenity provisions in an attempt to ban consumer products which glorify violence and cruelty such as serial killer cards, sadistic board and video games, and graphically violent films and comic books.
Status of Women Canada releases a background paper for the UNESCO International Symposium, entitled Progress in Canada towards Women's Equality and the Media: Access to Expression and Decision Making 1980-94. The paper discusses portrayal of women in the media, media literacy, and other topics addressing violence in the media. Recommendations from this symposium are presented at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing.
April
The CRTC announces regional consultations on television violence, which will include a national public hearing.
Justice Minister Allan Rock is persuaded by the Standing Committee's report on crime cards and board games that the issue deserves serious review. He agrees that a piecemeal approach to addressing the glorification of crime and violence by prohibiting certain cards and board games would not tackle the underlying problem; and he directs the Department of Justice to prepare a discussion paper on further steps to address the undue exploitation of violence.
July
The Children's Bureau and the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence of Health Canada, in conjunction with the Alliance for Children and Television, produce a multi-media kit for parenting workshops. The media literacy package, Prime Time Parent, is made available in many Canadian libraries.
September
The Library of Parliament releases Current Issue Review: Violence on Television. This background document, prepared for MP's and other government personnel, reviews the research on television violence and provides an overview of key government and industry initiatives.
October
A CRTC national hearing and regional public consultations on Violence in Television Programming are carried out in Hull, Que., and eight other Canadian cities. The hearing allows the public to comment on specific approaches to television violence and provides a forum for alternative suggestions. The issues to be canvassed include the development of a national classification system and possible solutions to the problem of unequal restrictions on television violence across the broadcasting system, particularly between Canadian broadcasters and foreign services distributed via cable.
February
The Action Group on Violence on Television (AGVOT) develops and pilot tests a V-chip-based television classification system in major cities across the country. Consultations between Canada and the U.S. are undertaken to ensure the harmonization of both television classification systems.
March
The CRTC releases Respecting Children: A Canadian Approach to Helping Families Deal with Television Violence, a policy paper which sets a September 1996 deadline for the launch of a V-chip-based rating system.
The Department of Justice and the Solicitor General release Safer Communities: A Parliamentarian's Crime Prevention Guide. The guide provides background information for parliamentarians on crime, crime prevention and ways to create safer communities. The role of the mass media in crime prevention is also discussed.
The Department of Justice releases Undue Exploitation of Violence, a consultation paper which deals with the issue of gratuitous violence in various media in Canada and on the Information Highway. The paper seeks the views of Canadians on a number of questions related to violence in the media and gathers information on research, programs and activities dealing with the effects of exposure to media violence.
CAB launches its second public awareness campaign. With funding from several government departments and in cooperation with Canadian Heritage, CAB focuses the campaign on violence against women and children and media literacy. An important component of the Phase II campaign is Violence - You Can Make a Difference, distributed through such organizations as the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the YWCA, the Child Welfare League of Canada and Associations of Children's Aid Societies.
May
The Media Awareness Network, under the auspices of the National Film Board of Canada, puts its French and English Internet site on the World Wide Web and incorporates as a not-for-profit organization.
October
The CRTC announces a revised timetable for the implementation of a television classification system and V-chip technology in Canada. The announcement comes after the submission of a report by the Action Group on Violence on Television (AGVOT) on behalf of the Canadian broadcasting, cable and television production industries.
April
AGVOT releases a new Canadian TV ratings system for classifying television programs. The ratings closely resemble those introduced by U.S. broadcasters in February, and will eventually be displayed at the beginning of most Canadian TV shows.
AGVOT releases the Report on a Classification System for Violence in Television Programming to be used in conjunction with V-chip Technology.
June
The CRTC approves television ratings system proposed by AGVOT.
August
AGVOT unveils the graphic icons which English-language broadcasters will use to identify the rating of their programs.
September
New classification codes appear on Canadian TV for the first time. All TV programming shown in Canada (with the exception of news, sports, documentaries, talk shows, music videos and variety programming) is now classified according to the ratings system developed by AGVOT.
1997
Implementation of the V-chip technology is delayed indefinitely.
The CBSC continues to release decisions on complaints of violence. Complaints filed encompass issues of violence in the news and other public affairs programming, violence shown during pre-watershed hours, allegations of excessive violence shown after 9 p.m., insufficient use of viewer advisories and the depiction of violence against animals.
CBSC decisions for this year are summarized in a precedent-setting case, dealing with the broadcast of the science-fiction movie Strange Days. The movie, which viewers found "shocking" and "pornographic", contained excessive, glamourized and sexualized violence, including violence against women.
July
After a complaint about the availability to minors of the violent first-person shooter game Soldier of Fortune, the Ministry of the Attorney General in B.C. rules that all video games sold or rented in British Columbia will be subject to a new classification system, similar to the one in place for rental videos. The Attorney General classified the game as 'adult material' due to its excessive violence, making the game unavailable for sale or rental to minors. Soldier of Fortune will have to be re-evaluated by the B.C. Film Classification Office before it can return to store shelves. This legislation was dropped after the NDP government was voted out of power and replaced by a Liberal government.
The CRTC announces that the broadcasting industry has begun the long-awaited plan to encode Canadian programming with a ratings system that is compatible with V-chip technology. Television manufacturers have already made V-chip ready televisions widely available in Canada. AGVOT has formed an Encoding Implementation Committee that will oversee the final stages in making the V-chip ready for use in Canadian homes.
