CTV Newsnet (A‪)‬

A national television station aired the wrong take of a CTV Newsnet broadcast, one filled with ethnic, gender and social slurs aimed to amuse the technicians in the studio. When this segment was inadvertently aired, the station was thrown into a crisis management situation where every reaction required an action. The senior vice-president of news needed to make some major decisions quickly. He had to gauge public reaction and the effects of the incident on the growing reputation of CTV Newsnet and consider the vested interests of key stakeholders such as the parent company CTV Inc. and its major advertisers. This case explores the gravity of communication issues and lets students try their hand at making critical decisions, in tight time frames with imperfect information. Supplements CTV Newsnet (B), product number 9B01C027, discusses developing and implementing a communication strategy and CTV Newsnet (C), product number 9B01C028, focuses on the aftermath of the firing.