# Banned Canadian ads (domesic violence) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467 "2003-07-14T20:45:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/1 "2003-07-14T20:45:17Z")
I saw this on another MB. The ads linked [here](http://www.homefrontcalgary.com/announcements/index.htm) were deemed to be too over the top for broadcast in Calgary. Intense ads, hard to imagine them playing on primetime on most U.S. TV stations. (warning for language and violence in ads linked from the web site). I wasn’t even sure which forum to put this in (Cafe Society? Debate the ban in GD? General opinions in IMHO?). I guess I’ll try here and ask for feedback. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/2 "2003-07-14T20:52:23Z")
Good call, Calgary. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/3 "2003-07-14T21:05:07Z")
Those ads were very, very disturbing. I say clean up the language and play the spots after 10 p.m., though. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/4 "2003-07-14T21:40:24Z")
The ads were supposed to be very, very disturbing. That said, I’m not sure they’re that much worse than your average cop show - some of which are played at the 9:00 primetime hour. And I do think that many people are lucky enough to be blind to domestic abuse really (It hasn’t happened to them, they don’t know) and this might open some eyes… maybe. I’m not sure who they’re aimed at. Batterers? Will they care? (Assuming they even recognize themselves in the ad) The general, non-abusive person off the street? And what are they supposed to do or think or react to seeing the ad? (I can’t tell. If it is aimed at them, shouldn’t the tagline be “you wouldn’t just let it happen here” rather than “you wouldn’t get away with it here”?) Someone else? ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/5 "2003-07-14T22:07:00Z")
I’m not familiar with broadcasting practices in the Great White North (other than the Candian content stuff for radio, if that is still in effect)…does the TVB screen all commercials before broadcast? Are they equivalent to the FCC in the USA? Could a station still play the commercial if it wanted to (it sounded like the Calgary stations **could** play the sport, but **decided** no to) ? ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/6 "2003-07-14T22:08:37Z")
…err that would be “play the **spot** ” ---
**Author:** ![skeptic\_ev](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@skeptic\_ev](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skeptic_ev)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/7 "2003-07-14T22:42:41Z")
Wow. Very disturbing. Those ads do seem to be targeted toward abusers. Interestingly, men who abuse their wives and/or children often DO put on a pretty good front to others, so maybe those would have some effect. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/8 "2003-07-15T01:14:12Z")
Wow. Very powerful. I feel they’re valuable, but I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable seeing it without having a choise and being forewarned. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/9 "2003-07-15T23:57:29Z")
If you’re going to address this subject at all, you can’t dumb it down. Those were some of the most realistic portrayals of abuse I’ve seen. Plus which, they subtly make the point that “nice guy” is often a facade, as **skeptic** pointed out. I wouldn’t clean up the language, either. **That is how it is.** However, I do also agree with the decision to air them after 10pm. Young children would be traumatized, if they’ve never seen something like that IRL…or if they have. Furthermore, I can just see some 13yo punk deciding to “recreate” that on the playground. **amarinth** , if it were up to me, they would be aimed at the victims of abuse, with the tag line changed to “ **He** couldn’t get away with it here; **you** don’t have to take it at home”. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/10 "2003-07-16T00:51:27Z")
They don’t need any editing. Just airtime. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/11 "2003-07-16T00:59:48Z")
Where did you get the idea they weren’t shown? I live in Calgary, and have seen both of them. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/12 "2003-07-16T01:43:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bagkitty \* > \*\*Where did you get the idea they weren’t shown? I live in Calgary, and have seen both of them. \*\* I got the idea from the story that I linked to in the OP. > [@](#): > > Given the failure to receive TVB approval, **local Calgary televisions stations have decided not to run the PSAs (public service announcements).** ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/13 "2003-07-16T02:41:20Z")
didn’t read the story, must have seen them on a local news cast then, because I had seen them on television here, but just the once. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/banned-canadian-ads-domesic-violence/188467/14 "2003-07-16T03:44:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by beagledave \* > \*\*I’m not familiar with broadcasting practices in the Great White North (other than the Candian content stuff for radio, if that is still in effect)…does the TVB screen all commercials before broadcast? Are they equivalent to the FCC in the USA? Could a station still play the commercial if it wanted to (it sounded like the Calgary stations **could** play the sport, but **decided** no to) ? \*\* The Canadian equivalent of the FCC is the Canadian Radio-Television Commission, or CRTC, a federal agency. The TVB is an association of private broadcasters who provide a service to screen adverts so that there’s a single-source body to give uniform ratings. That way an ad agency doesn’t have to run their ad past each tv station to make sure it meets each station’s standards of good taste, language, etc. From the TVB [website](http://www.tvb.ca/Buton1.htm): > [@](#): > > The Telecaster Committee of Canada(now as The telecaster services of TVB) was formed in 1973 by private broadcasters as a voluntary, self-governing, commercial, infomercial and public service announcement (psa) clearance committee. The Committee has grown steadily in membership since that time, proving to be an organization which inspires responsibility and trust. In 1995, the Telecaster Committee began clearing infomercials for its member channels. In 1998, Telecaster member channels implemented a policy to deal with the issue of late copy. > > If the Telecaster services did not exist, it is likely you would have to send your commercials for clearance to at least 45 different stations and networks who would each have their own rules and regulations, as well as submitting to the necessary regulatory bodies. Rarely is a commercial, infomercial or psa cleared by the Telecaster Committee removed from the air. However, the Committee guidelines are voluntary, and a member may or may not wish to telecast a commercial in order to comply with the individual station or network policy. So it sounds like the agency could run these adverts if it chose to - it just decided not to, in light of the rating they got from the TVB.