CBSC and Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing:” “Never mind…”

Back in January in a ruling that was ridiculed literally around the world, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council–the self-policing body of private radio in this country–ruled that the original version of 1985 song, “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits was offensive and therefore unworthy of space on the nation’s airwaves.

At issue was the word “faggot,” which was used by a bigoted character depicted in the song.  The complaint was brought forth by a single person–a listener to OZ-FM in Newfoundland–triggering the procedures laid out in the CBSC’s code.  Not only was the ruling skewered by just about everyone, it also shon a light on how a SINGLE person could affect what the nation was allowed to hear on the radio.  

(I won’t go over the whole thing again, but if you want to read an article I wrote on the matter, go here.)

The public backlash was so fierce that the CRTC asked the CBSC to re-examine the matter to make sure that their opinion was, in fact, correct.

Turns out it wasn’t.  You can read the entire decision if you like, but I did so you don’t have to.  It’s pretty mind-numbing.  Trust me.

In an about-face that runs 9,242 words and 17 pages in my copy of Word, the CBSC states that while the word “faggot” was rightly ruled inappropriate,

“…newly-submmitted information…does part company with the Pane’s conclusion regarding the context of the inappropriate word.  

“The CBSC does conclude that, based to a considerable extent on the story told in the song, which was strongly supported by information found in interviews given by the composer [Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler] soon after the time of its release, the usage of the other f-word was contextually justified in ‘Money for Nothing.’  The word was satirically used and supportively used.”

Well, duh.

The new decision ends with this:  

“The National Panel wishes to make perfectly clear to those persons who have commended the CBSC for its “brave” position regarding the disapproval of the hateful and painful term that it is not abandoning that position or the CBSC’s sensitivity to their concern. It is only saying that there may be circumstances in which even words designating unacceptably negative portrayal may be acceptable because of their contextual usage. The ad hoc National Panel finds this one such occasion.

“Finally, the Panel wishes to reaffirm the existence of numerous versions of “Money for Nothing”, created and performed by Dire Straits themselves and Mark Knopfler on a solo basis, used by them or him in most of the live concerts and in their albums, as well as on iTunes. They are available for broadcast and, to the extent that broadcasters wish to respect that sensitivity of members of their audience, they have the option to make that airplay choice without any editing of the song on their part.”

But here’s the nub of all this:

“While, for the reasons given in this decision, the ad hoc National Panel concludes that the original version does not breach the private broadcasters’ codified standards, it would encourage broadcasters to make the airplay choice appropriate to their market.”

In other words, “Never mind.  As you were.”