Complaint filed with broadcast council over on-air reference to fecal matter

MONTREAL – A complaint has been filed with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council after the host of a Quebec radio show likened singer and entertainer Gregory Charles to fecal matter.

Jose Gaudet made the on-air comment May 17 as he was telling the story of a British Columbia woman who was caught on video that appeared to show her defecating in a Tim Hortons, then throwing her feces at staff.

Gaudet apologized the day after.

But Radio-Canada says activist Will Prosper filed a complaint with the broadcast standards regulator because he believes the original comment contributes to a feeling of exclusion among members of the black community.

Prosper wants Gaudet to publicly apologize to Charles and to the black community.

A spokesperson for Bell Media, which owns the Energie radio station where Gaudet is a host, says the comments are contrary to the company’s standards and code of conduct.

“We note Mr. Gaudet quickly offered a sincere apology on the air and directly to Mr. Charles himself,” Simon Cere, director of communications for French Bell Media brands in Quebec, said in an email statement.

The matter was dealt with internally, Cere said.