Anthony Marr's letter to Global TV on hunting shows
Dear Global TV:
As a public educator I speak to tens of thousands of students every year,
from kindergarten to university, often on the points of morality and ethics.
With very young children I often ask them one question: "What is the worst
reason for killing an animal - in self-defense, for food, for clothing, for
money, for trophy or for entertainment?" I would run these past them one by
one and ask them to raise their hands once and only once. I think you can
guess which is the one they overwhelmingly condemn as the worse reason for
killing an animal - for entertainment ("for fun" in their lingo) - and this
includes anything from Spanish style bull fighting to American style
recreational hunting. And it is universal, from school to school, with no
exception.
Unfortunately, the older the children get, the more excuses they make for
recreational hunting. And when I asked them what had changed their mind,
many say that their parents hunt, some answered that they watched the
hunting shows on TV, and a few specified the hunting shows on Global TV.
It does seem true that Global TV is the only mainstream TV station
featuring hunting (and angling) shows, thus glorifying the hugely immoral
killing of animals for entertainment. I consider this mainstream spiritual
pollution of our children.
Therefore, I have advised the parents of the young children who do not
condone hunting (the vast majority) to exclude Global TV from their
allowed-channels list. And I have received feedback that they have
themselves switched their news watching to a channel other than Global TV.
This is regrettable, because otherwise Global TV is a quality station,
about which Canadians could rightly be proud.
Sincerely.
Anthony Marr, founder and president
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
www.HOPE-CARE.org
www.MySpace.com/AnthonyMarr
www.YouTube.com/AnthonyMarr
www.HomoSapiensSaveYourEarth.blogspot.com
www.ARConference.org
216-386-7362 / 604-222-1169
Reply By Viewer
Dear Anthony:
Thank you for your email and your feedback regarding hunting shows on
Global Television. We apologize if you were offended by these types of shows
as it certainly is never our intention to offend our viewers.
As responsible broadcasters we are sensitive to the members of our
viewing audience, and sincerely apologize if the content of this program has
offended you. You can be assured that it was not our intention to do so. As
broadcasters, we pride ourselves on airing a wide variety of programs that
deliver an equally wide variety of viewpoints.
Notably, under the Canadian Broadcasting Act, all broadcasters are
required to provide a broad spectrum of entertainment and information
programming for �men, women and children of all ages, interests and tastes�.
Television programming is required to be diverse and appealing to a wide
range of audiences. As a result, what one viewer might consider an
interesting or informative program, might lead another to turn the channel.
The Act further requires that the Canadian broadcasting system "provide a
reasonable opportunity for the public to be exposed to the expression of
differing views on matters of public concern".
Canada in the Rough (for example) has been rated �PG�. Programming with
this classification may contain themes which might not be suitable for
viewers under the age of 8. As well, parents should be aware that there
might be elements, such as limited sexual reference or content, which some
could consider inappropriate for unsupervised viewing by children in the
8-13 age range. Please note that this rating does not restrict the
broadcaster from airing the program prior to the �watershed hour� which is
9:00pm to 6:00am and usually reserved for adult content.
Global Television adheres all guidelines including the television rating
system created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and the
Action Group on Violence on Television (AGVOT). This public rating system is
intended to advise viewers of a program�s content in order to allow you, the
viewer to determine a program�s suitability for your own viewing needs and
desires. As required, an on-screen key airs for the first fifteen seconds of
the program and a matching V-Chip data is encoded into our transmission for
the entire duration of the program.
We also air the following disclaimer with this program (coming out of all
commercial breaks) so that viewers can make an informed decision whether
they wish to watch the program or not:
�The following program contains scenes that may not be suitable for
children. Viewer discretion is advised.�
Hunting in Canada is a highly regulated activity, with seasons and
harvest quota carefully monitored by biologists, outdoor groups, bureaucrats
and politicians. Every province and territory in Canada provides access to
resident and non resident Canadians for the purposes of hunting and has done
so since the creation of Canada .
Approximately 1.5 million Canadian men and women are licensed to hunt in
Canada . The economic impact of the activity of hunting reaches into the
hundreds of millions of dollars most of which goes into the economy of rural
Canada where it fuels local needs. Much of the funding through hunting
license sales goes directly into conservation management programs, and
habitat improvement to enhance wildlife viewing opportunities for all
Canadians. Research has proven that the vast majorities of Canadians
supports the notion of hunting and accept its role in wildlife management
and consumptive use of a natural and renewable resource.
We acknowledge that as a special interest show, not all viewers will want
to watch this specific show, as not all viewers will want to watch a show
about gardening or auto racing, but the overall level of positive e mails
that the show's producer's receive and the viewership numbers the show is
consistently garnering indicate that the vast majority of viewers tuning
into shows such as Canada In The Rough are comfortable with the genre and
the handling of the subject of hunting.
Thanks again for your email.
Sincerely,
~ Viewer Contact
Global Television and E!
Response By Anthony Marr
Dear Global TV,
Thank you for your long and detailed explanation as to why your hunting
shows must go on. You are approximately correct that about 1.5 million
Canadians hunt. This is consistent with the generally valid ratio of 5% of
Canadians and Americans being hunters. This, however also means that 95% of
Canadians and Americans do not hunt, the majority of whom do take offense to
the said hunting shows.
There are other mainstream stations which do not find it necessary as
Global does to show real bloodshed and basically snuff-programs unashamedly
to the by-and-large kind-hearted and animal-loving public. Agreeing to
disagree with you, therefore, I will continue to persuade my audiences to
shun any TV station deriving popularity from catering to those who "kill for
fun" - as our children so rightly label them.
Sincerely,
Anthony Marr, founder and president
Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE)
www.HOPE-CARE.org
www.MySpace.com/AnthonyMarr
www.YouTube.com/AnthonyMarr
www.HomoSapiensSaveYourEarth.blogspot.com
www.ARConference.org
216-386-7362 / 604-222-1169
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