Why Not USA?: Evangelical TV show pulled from the air

Christian broadcaster Crossroads Television System (CTS) has been found in violation of broadcasting codes for statements made by evangelical television personality and minister Charles McVety that implied there was a "malevolent, insidious and conspiratorial purpose" to the activities of homosexuals.

Rev. McVety said he was told Thursday by CTS that his show, Word TV, would be temporarily pulled from the air. "My good name has been impugned by this report."

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, a self-regulated industry watchdog, said that Rev. McVety disparaged gays in episodes that ran between July 2009 and February 2010 when commenting on Toronto's massive gay pride parade and a revised Ontario sex curriculum for grade schools.

It said Rev. McVety violated sections of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters code of ethics, particularly the clause that calls for "full, fair and proper representation."

Rev. McVety has been known for expressing controversial remarks that reflect his conservative and evangelical views. He is also the most quoted evangelical in Canada and has modelled his ministries on more aggressive American counterparts.

On air he expressed opposition to the use of taxpayer money to fund the pride parade, questioned whether it really brought tourists to the region and called it a "sex parade."

"One reason is because this [parade] is a criminal activity, to parade down the streets in the nude," Rev. McVety said on Word TV. "There is the Criminal Code of Canada that says you can't do that. It's an abuse of public space, it's abuse of our children."

The broadcasting council, which made the decision in June but only made it public this week, censured the comments because he referred to the event as a "sex parade" in a "disparaging tone," expressed skepticism over the parade's popularity and "claimed that the City of Toronto's tourism slogan had been changed to 'as gay as it gets' and that advertising for the Pride events promoted sex with children."

The broadcasting council said Rev. McVety derided the city for advertising Toronto as a "sex tourism destination ... with full opportunity for sex with hot boys."

(Tourism Toronto ran online ads that called Toronto "as gay as it gets" in 2008 and another online advertisement that said, "On any given day, hot boys and hot girls fill Church Street with energy, passion and opportunity.")

Rev. McVety was also censured for his strong comments about a proposed 2010 change to Ontario's sex curriculum that presented homosexuality in a more accepting light. The policy was eventually withdrawn when it attracted controversy.

"[W]e send little Johnny and little Jane to school, not to learn to be homosexuals and lesbians," Rev. McVety said on air. "We send them there to learn reading, writing and arithmetic and history and all these wonderful things, but unfortunately there is an activist group that is afoot that wants to change our curriculum. Why? Because unfortunately they have an insatiable appetite for sex, especially with young people. And there are not enough of them, so they want to proselytize your children and mine, our grandchildren and turn them into homosexuals."

But he complained that the broadcasting council never read the new curriculum.

Ron Cohen, national chairman of the broadcasting council, said it was enough to know he made the irresponsible charge that the province would send children to school to become homosexuals.

Rev. McVety said Thursday he was never contacted about the complaints and only learned about the decision when it was put online Wednesday.

Mr. Cohen said CTS was informed of the complaint and responded before a decision was made. The council only deals with broadcasters, he added.

CTS, which is a member of the council, said it would take the "required steps to make sure our programs are in compliance." Crossroad Television is required to read the decision on air and to make sure similar offences do not occur again.

clewis@nationalpost.com

 http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada