'Howl #4'
2008 Campaign for Yukon Sled Dogs [Campaign #4]: Need for responsible reporting by
Yukon media

SAMPLE LETTER
[Send this one, or even better, write one of your own]

To: CBC Ombudsman and CBC North, Whitehorse Daily Star, CKRW 'the Rush' 96.1 FM

Subject: Please report responsibly about (and stop supporting) the cruel Yukon Quest International Sled
Dog Race!

In the service of responsible journalism ethics and standards and on behalf of suffering animals, I ask that
the CBC Yukon and its parent at CBC North (this campaign is also addressed to Yukon Quest official
'media sponsors' Whitehorse Daily Star and CKRW Radio) start to report in a responsible manner when
covering and discussing the Yukon Quest. To CBC, I also ask that instead of your organization acting for
many years as a media cheerleader for the race (the CBC Yukon morning radio show host served as
master of ceremonies for the 2007 Yukon Quest Pre-race Banquet, most of your on-air personalities
promote the Quest year round) in which three dogs were killed and many more were injured.

CBC Yukon radio and television personalities regularly act as boosters for the Quest. Please in the future,
endeavour to employ investigative journalism techniques to expose some of the cruelty inherent in the
Yukon dog mushing industry with special attention given to the Yukon Quest.

Your radio announcers should also warn listeners about offensive content when speaking about dead and
injured sled dogs such as the report about the dogs who had suffered frostbitten penises in the 2007
Quest race.

A veteran Quest musher broached the unspeakable topic of sled dog culling immediately prior to the 2007
Quest race. Your reporters did not do any follow-up on this important issue and yet your organization still
apparently considers this race to be 'a legitimate athletic event' (as CBC North's Director of English Radio
and Television, Mike Linder, arrogantly deemed the race to be, while handling a complaint to an animal
advocate on behalf of the CBC Ombudsman, in March 2005).

As a taxpaying supporter of the CBC, I hope you will in the future provide more balanced coverage of the
Yukon Quest, stop promoting the race, and ask some tough questions of Yukon Quest officials and its
public sponsors for a refreshing change.

http://sleddogwatchdog.com/yukonquest_media_darling.html

http://sleddogwatchdog.com/cbc_supporter_of_animal_cruelty.html

http://sleddogwatchdog.com/yukonquest_media_villains.html

Thank you on behalf of Yukon sled dogs.

[Please let the CBC, the Whitehorse Star and CKRW know who you are and where you are writing from]

Email Whitehorse Star and CKRW:

[Cut and paste 'To'] star@whitehorsestar.com,ckrwcopy@ckrw.com

CBC Contact info:

CBC President Robert Rabinovitch:

CBC Head Office
Robert Rabinovitch
250 Lanark Avenue
P.O. Box 3220, Station "C"
Ottawa, ON K1Y 1E4
TEL: (613) 724-1200 (general)
EMAIL: commho@cbc.ca

General online form (complaints): www.cbc.ca/contact

CBC Ombudsman Vince Carlin ('Accuracy, Fairness and Integrity?'):

ombudsman@cbc.ca

Mail:

Vince Carlin, CBC Ombudsman
P.O. Box 500, Station "A"
Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6
TEL: (416) 205-2978
FAX: (416) 205-2825

CBC North (Yellowknife Headquarters):

Sue Glowach
Senior Communications Officer
Box 160 - 5002 Forrest Drive
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2N2
TEL: (867) 669-3531
FAX: (867) 669-3573
EMAIL: cbcnorth@cbc.ca

CBC North online contact form:

http://www.cbc.ca/local_includes/north_contacts/contact.html

CBC Yukon:

CBC Yukon
3103 3rd Avenue
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 1E5
TEL: (867) 668- 8400
FAX: (867) 668-8408

'A New Day' Morning show:

anewday@cbc.ca

Cc: Canadian Broadcast Standards Council - complaints@cbsc.ca