Leggo my logo by Antonia ZerbisiasJan 21, 2000 Source : Toronto Starby Antonia Zerbisias A war of words has broken out between the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting lobby group and TVO's board of directors. It's all over Friends' use of TVO's logo in mailings during last spring's provincial election campaign. In those mailings, Friends' urged its members to say "I'm voting TVO" whenever Progressive Conservative candidates hustled their support. Reminding members that the Tories had threatened to privatize the provincial broadcaster, slashed its budget and then left it leaderless, Friends pitched for funds as well as for making TVO a campaign issue. That didn't sit well with TVO's board, whose members were appointed by Premier Mike Harris – and many of whom have party ties. Plus, in November, former culture minister Isabel Bassett, who was defeated last year, was made TVO's chair. Perhaps that's why the board, in a letter signed by corporate secretary and general counsel Donald S. Mills, accuses Friends of appropriating the logo for literature which "advocated the defeat at the polls of the government of the day." But Friends' never did that. They just asked members to ask candidates about TVO's future – and to base their votes on the answers. Mills also accuses Friends' of threatening TVO's "arm's length" relationship with Queen's Park – which could affect its licences. In his reply, Friends' spokesperson Ian Morrison says that, considering the "partisan appointments" to the board, Bassett's reported relationship with provincial finance minister Ernie Eves and TVO's recent hiring of Doug Earle, who went straight from a senior post in the premier's office to a top job at the network, that arm is already too short for comfort. Friends' has referred the issue to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) which can take away TVO's licence. This too could get very, very interesting. Related LinksSee also: FRIENDS Letter to CRTC
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