The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is urging the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) to review the decision made earlier this month by its Atlantic Regional Panel.
The panel deemed the Grammy-winning 1985 rock tune unfit for Canadian radio in its unedited version, after a listener of CHOZ-FM in St. John's complained about the use of the word "faggot" several times in the song's lyrics.
The broadcast regulator reported receiving more than 250 complaints from the public over the CBSC's decision.
In a letter sent on Friday, the CRTC also noted "that many of the letters it has received mistakenly have assumed that it was the commission, and not the CBSC, that determined that the version of the Dire Straits song containing the contested derogatory word was inappropriate for radio airplay.
"The volume of letters and perceived overlap of responsibilities between the commission and the CBSC has created uncertainty for the public and for radio stations requiring information on the continued appropriateness of playing that version of the song," CRTC secretary general Robert Morin said in the letter.
Along with forwarding the related correspondence to the broadcast council, the CRTC also recommends the group appoint a national panel to seek public comments on the issue and ultimately to reconsider the matter.
In its ruling, released Jan. 12, the broadcast council said the unedited version of Money for Nothing contravenes the human rights clauses of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code.
The group noted, however, that the song would be acceptable in an edited version.
The ruling sparked massive public disapproval, made headlines both nationally and abroad, and even sparked a few radio stations to play the banned version repeatedly in protest.
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