Bell CEO sorry he meddled with CTV

A “disturbing” report about journalistic meddling prompted Canada’s broadcasting regulator to issue a sharply worded reminder Wednesday of Bell Media’s statutory duty to let its CTV reporters work free of interference.

Before day’s end, that same report had prompted an apology from the reported meddler in question: Bell Media president Kevin Crull.

In a story citing unnamed sources, the Globe and Mail said Crull intervened in how journalists reported a major regulatory decision last week — a decision that did not go the way the corporation had hoped.

Crull demanded that journalists not give any airtime to Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, the Globe reported. CTV News ultimately refused to abide by Crull’s edict for the evening national newscast.

Blais had just announced rule changes requiring broadcasters to offer a low-cost package to consumers and to allow them to “pick and pay” other individual channels. He had appeared at a news conference, and also did interviews that day.

Blais put out a statement Wednesday that reminded Bell of its responsibilities under the Broadcasting Act.

“The allegation … that the largest communication company in Canada is manipulating news coverage is disturbing,” Blais wrote.

In his own statement, which emerged after the release by Blais, Crull said his only intention was to suggest that media coverage of the decision focus on “a broad and necessary discussion” of the impact of the decision.

“It was wrong of me to be anything but absolutely clear that editorial control always rests with the news team,” he said.