Radio-Canada says it will appeal Quebec Press Council’s ruling against it

MONTREAL – The Quebec Press Council has ruled that Radio-Canada violated journalistic principles in a 2014 television news report about the husband of former Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois.

Interim Parti Quebecois Leader Stephane Bedard called on the French-language network of the CBC to publicly apologize.

Radio-Canada reported in March 2014 — less than one week before Quebec’s provincial election — that Marois’ husband, Claude Blanchet, allegedly solicited $25,000 to fund her leadership bid in 2007. Marois and Blanchet denied the allegation.

In an affidavit cited by Radio-Canada, an executive says he gave Blanchet $25,000 in the form of various cheques up to $3,000, which at the time was the maximum individual contribution allowed in the PQ leadership race. Radio-Canada did not release his name.

Quebec’s press council, which announced its decision Wednesday, upheld the complaint against journalist Alain Gravel and Radio-Canada accusing them of “using unjustified complaints from an anonymous source and representing information in a biased way.”

The council rejected the part of the complaint claiming Radio-Canada’s report was not in the public interest.

Radio-Canada said in a news release it will appeal the decision.