The unprecedented decision by Canada's broadcasting regulator to shut down a popular radio station because of crude comments made by on-air hosts has prompted a vigorous debate over freedom of expression.
The Quebec City station CHOI-FM was home to a morning show host who styled himself after Howard Stern, the US "shock jock" who entertains his loyal fans with raunchy musings about anal sex or fart noises. Jean François (Jeff) Fillion drew listeners with intentionally shocking comments about "pulling the plug" on a psychiatric patient or discussing the "incredible set of boobs" of a local television host. He added that "the size of her brain is not directly proportional to the size of her bra".
Another on-air personality regularly ridiculed and insulted local politicians or other well-known members of the city's elite and once pronounced that foreign students at a local university were the sons of cannibals and third world dictators.
Listeners were drawn in. As many as 300,000 at a time tuned in to the station, making it the most popular in the predominately French-speaking city. But the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, a body set up by an act of parliament to regulate broadcasting in Canada, got fed up with the pattern of abusive comments it said was harmful to Canada's social fabric. In last week's decision to revoke the licence CHOI-FM needs to operate, the CRTC said it was likely the station exposed individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of mental disability, race, ethnic origin, religion, colour or sex.
It was the first time the CRTC had taken this step solely because of offensive comments made on the air. CHOI-FM will have to stop broadcasting by the end of August.
Station owner Patrice Demers says he will fight the decision in court. He says the station is worth $25m (£10m) and employs 35 people.
The CRTC's crackdown has angered many Canadians, who have written letters to the editor, arguing that, while the station's on-air personalities may be vulgar, crude and mean, they have the constitutional right to say what is on their mind. Anyone who does not like what they are hearing, they say, can simply turn their radio dial.
"But if freedom of expression is to mean anything, it must include the freedom to offend," the Globe and Mail newspaper said in its editorial.
Local fans in Quebec City have sent more than 7,000 emails and are putting stickers on their cars protesting the decision.
Other Canadians disagree, however. They argue that the airwaves are defined as a public utility in Canada and that the CRTC was doing its job and putting the public good ahead of private profit.
Up until now, Canada has largely left the broadcasting industry to police itself on these kind of issues. The CRTC's move, while seen as heavy handed by many, is also a reflection of growing public concern over the kind of graphic, sexually explicit material that is regularly broadcast on radio and television and published on the internet.
It comes as the US regulator, the Federal Communications Commission, is getting tougher on American radio stations. The FCC recently issued heavy fines to stations that carried Howard Stern's raunchy rants, saying they had "knowingly and wilfully" broadcast obscene material.