Formal Reply from CFRA Radio Ottawa
(After recieving an-email from the Secretary General of the Ottawa Association of Chinese-Canadian University Alumni, Mr. Mark Maheu sent the following e-mail to him at 3:40 PM, 2003-03-28)
Dear Mr. Wang,
Thank you for your email and accompanying letter regarding the John Counsell program on CFRA. As you mentioned in your email, the host has since apologized. A copy of the apology is or was posted on the website you referred to in your email (www.comefromchina.com). Mr. Counsell's remarks the following evening on CFRA explained fully the mistake he made by inadvertently including China in a list of countries sited as terrorist states.
CFRA appreciates the understanding of the Chinese community in the National Capital Region regarding this unfortunate incident. CFRA also appreciates the numerous emails we have received from the Chinese community complimenting CFRA on the way the issue was handled on the air in the following days.
The host of the program understands the gravity of his mistake. He and his producer understand the additional checks and balances that must take place to ensure that mistakes like this are not repeated. We believe the additional steps of double checking facts and additional proof-reading of scripts prior to broadcast will eliminate the chances of an incident like this one happening again.
On behalf of CFRA, please accept our deepest apologies for any offense we have caused the Chinese Community .
Sincerely,
Mark Maheu
Vice President/General Manager
CFRA Radio Ottawa
(After recieving an-email from the Secretary General of the Ottawa Association of Chinese-Canadian University Alumni, Mr. Mark Maheu sent the following e-mail to him at 3:40 PM, 2003-03-28)
Dear Mr. Wang,
Thank you for your email and accompanying letter regarding the John Counsell program on CFRA. As you mentioned in your email, the host has since apologized. A copy of the apology is or was posted on the website you referred to in your email (www.comefromchina.com). Mr. Counsell's remarks the following evening on CFRA explained fully the mistake he made by inadvertently including China in a list of countries sited as terrorist states.
CFRA appreciates the understanding of the Chinese community in the National Capital Region regarding this unfortunate incident. CFRA also appreciates the numerous emails we have received from the Chinese community complimenting CFRA on the way the issue was handled on the air in the following days.
The host of the program understands the gravity of his mistake. He and his producer understand the additional checks and balances that must take place to ensure that mistakes like this are not repeated. We believe the additional steps of double checking facts and additional proof-reading of scripts prior to broadcast will eliminate the chances of an incident like this one happening again.
On behalf of CFRA, please accept our deepest apologies for any offense we have caused the Chinese Community .
Sincerely,
Mark Maheu
Vice President/General Manager
CFRA Radio Ottawa
