TSN has released an apology to Body Break's Hal Johnson after the iconic Canadian star revealed that the sports network didn't hire him because of the colour of his skin.
Before considering doing a health and fitness show, Johnson explains in a YouTube video that he was interested in working as a sports reporter for TSN. He states that the network interviewed him in April 1988 and that he got hired by, "Jack Hutchison at 11 o'clock in the morning, and he was very enthusiastic about me joining TSN."
However, Johnson says he received another call from Hutchison at 2 p.m. stating that the sports network didn't want to go with him because they, "Already had a black reporter."
In another interaction with TSN, Johnson says the network told them that Body Break wouldn't work as a show because they didn't feel Canadians were ready to see, "a black and white couple together."
In response to Johnson's statement, TSN has released an apology from its PR Twitter account, which states: "We apologize to Hal Johnson for the racism he experienced at TSN beginning in 1988."
"A shameful part of our past."
An apology to Hal Johnson (@bodybreak) from TSN: pic.twitter.com/vOih7kiiox
— TSN PR (@TSN_PR) June 16, 2020
A number of people have stated that the apology isn't enough, while others point to the fact that TSN still has a predominantly caucasian staff.
One person Tweeted that the apology is "meaningless" without action, while another stated that the sports network should do an on-air apology rather than issue one through its PR account.
Here are some of the comments:
— PeskyBeaver (@J_Iggy12) June 16, 2020
Hear me out: what if we replace all the bad people statues with statues of Hal Johnson
— Melissa Martin (@DoubleEmMartin) June 16, 2020
My spirit aches for The Hal Johnson that we know and the countless of Hal Johnsons that we don’t.. the ones who had no choice but to walk away
— Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) June 16, 2020
Meaningless. Hal should be hired to make sure your boardrooms do a better job. This still happens. Canadian media tries to play the tokenism game to preserve systemic racism. #cdnmedia
— Pat Quinn Hughes (@slaythedragon14) June 16, 2020
I just read PR jargon for ‘we’ll do better at hiding our racist ways’. I notice the words ‘anti black racism’, ‘investigation’ aren’t present
— Mark Emile (@emile_wickham) June 16, 2020
The amount of money you own Black people is unmeasureable. Starting with people like Hal Johnson. An apology is virtually worthless. Can you conceive the value of what you have taken away from him, and countless others?
— 🔥All-Eye CN Towering Inferno🔥 (@mindbendermind) June 16, 2020
HIRE A LOT MORE BLACK PEOPLE. MAKE THEM MANAGERS/EXECUTIVES
You know what would be great, @TSN_Sports? Not apologizing via your PR account and actually meaning it.
— John Fleischauer (@bigtalljohn) June 16, 2020
You can probably do better than twitter post. Hope there's an on air apology too.
— Duke (@NeoNovaRegen) June 16, 2020
Vancouver Is Awesome has reached out to TSN for a comment and will update the story when more information becomes available.What would help even more is the guy who was the decision maker and told the guy who hired Hal, to fire him, should apologize personally to Hal. Of course that won't happen because whover he is, has no balls.
— Skipper Jack (@SkipperJack4) June 16, 2020
