THE GAZETTE’S VIEW, IN SHORT

MORE TRANSPARENCY NEEDED

Speaking not for attribution, a Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission official has now told The Gazette’s Brendan Kelly that Bell Media never asked for an exemption to CRTC rules so that it could keep operating TSN 990 if its purchase of Astral Media is approved.

Certainly Bell has rightly concluded from its reading of CRTC regulations that concentration-of-ownership rules clearly prohibit it from owning more than three stations in the English Montreal market, which will be the case if its purchase of Astral’s CHOM 97.7 FM, Virgin 96 and CJAD 800 AM assets is okayed.

More transparency all around is needed in this case. Ideal would be for Bell to ask for an exemption, and for the CRTC to grant one – unless of course, the CRTC has another potential owner of an all-sports, English-language radio in the offing. And if it does, it should say so.

SAUDIS DO THE RIGHT THING

News of Saudi Arabia’s surprise decision to allow two female athletes to compete at the London Olympic Games spread quickly around the world, everywhere except in Saudi Arabia where not a word of it was leaked.

But even if their compatriots are still in the dark, the addition to the Saudi team of Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani in judo and Sarah Attar in the 800-metre race marks two major milestones: London becomes the first Games in history to include female athletes from every competing nation and Saudi Arabia no longer officially discriminates against female athletes.

It would help matters if sports organizations in other countries were more welcoming to Muslim women. The Fédération de soccer du Québec still refuses to allow Muslim athletes to wear a head cover under the pretext – and that’s all it is – of safety concerns.

MAYOR SHOULD RECUSE HIMSELF

There doesn’t appear to be anything anyone can do to force the mayor of Mascouche, Richard Marcotte, out of office even though he’s not doing his job full time – if he’s doing his job at all. Marcotte finally showed up at a council meeting this week in the suburb north of Montreal for the first time since April.

That was when he was arrested for allegedly being part of a kickback scheme for awarding city contracts and for which he faces six criminal counts.

If he truly has his city’s interest at heart, the decent thing would be for him to recuse himself until a court rules either for or against him.