Below is the complaint I registered this morning with the CRTC:


TO: The CRTC
Dear Sir/Madam:
I wish to complain about a broadcast I heard on CBC Radio 1 on January 25 at 8:00 AM. A report was filed by Jennifer Westaway regarding the US presidential campaign, and more specifically the Florida Republican campaign in which Ms. Westaway described the candidate, former Governor, Mitt Romney, as the "Mormon with money".
I am not Mormon nor am I a Republican. I don’t believe Ms. Westaway intended to be as offensive as she was but I was surprised to see a CBC reporter and a CBC program apparently had no insight or sensitivity to how offensive such a comment could be to all people of good faith who like to follow public affairs.
For insurance, I am sure Ms. Westaway and the CBC understand that Jacques Parizeau’s infamous line that the 1995 referendum was won by "ethnics and money" would be as unacceptable coming out of the mouth of a CBC reporter as it would be from that of a first minister. What if the comment from Ms. Westaway had been about the "Jew with money" or the "Muslim with money"? I can’t believe that the CBC would have failed to block this from broadcast.
I cannot believe it was necessary for mention Mr. Romney’s Mormonism while making the point that the is one of the more monied candidates in the campaign.
I just believe that the high standards of the CBC with regards to culturally sensitive broadcasting should be applied equally to all, regardless of which minority or religion one belongs to or which country one comes from.
I’d like an apology from the network and Ms. Westaway and I believe it should be communicated to the Mitt Romney campaign.
Yours truly,
John Farant