Canada: Evangelical TV show pulled from the air

December 10, 2010

Christian broadcaster Crossroads Television System (CTS) has been found in violation of broadcasting codes for statements made by evangelical television personality and minister Charles McVety that implied there was a “malevolent, insidious and conspiratorial purpose” to the activities of homosexuals.

Rev. McVety said he was told Thursday by CTS that his show, Word TV, would be temporarily pulled from the air.

“My good name has been impugned by this report,” he said. the rest

On air he expressed opposition to the use of taxpayer money to fund the pride parade, questioned whether it really brought tourists to the region and called it a “sex parade.”

“One reason is because this [parade] is a criminal activity, to parade down the streets in the nude,” Rev. McVety said on Word TV. “There is the Criminal Code of Canada that says you can’t do that. It’s an abuse of public space, it’s abuse of our children.”

The broadcasting council, which made the decision in June but which was only made public this week, censured the comments because he referred to the event as a “sex parade” in a “disparaging tone,” expressed skepticism over the parade’s popularity and “claimed that the City of Toronto’s tourism slogan had been changed to ‘as gay as it gets’ and that advertising for the Pride events promoted sex with children.”

The broadcasting council said Rev. McVety derided the city for advertising Toronto as a “sex tourism destination … with full opportunity for sex with hot boys.”