CTV was out of line when it aired three false starts of an interview with Stéphane Dion during the election campaign last fall, says the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, which in a recent ruling sided with the former Liberal leader.

CBSC ruled that airing the false starts was ‘discourteous and inconsiderate’ — because CTV had indicated to Dion that they would not air — and violated ethical codes of the CAB and RTNDA.

The situation unfolded when Halifax anchor Steve Murphy interviewed Dion and began with the question: ‘If you were prime minister now, what would you have done about the economy and this crisis that Mr. Harper has not done?’ Dion asked to restart the interview three times — a request granted by Murphy — because he didn’t understand the ‘poorly framed question,’ said CBSC.

The council also noted that Murphy failed to clarify the question when he re-asked it. The false starts were broadcast five days before the Oct. 14 election by Murphy and again later on the CTV Newsnet public affairs show Mike Duffy Live.

CTV defended the move, saying it was important for voters to see how Dion handled himself in such situations.

CTV News president Robert Hurst said in a statement that he was ‘disappointed’ by the decision.

‘We are deeply concerned by the tone and content of the Council’s decision as it is not the CBSC’s role to police the nature of the questions any news organization chooses to pose to a public official,’ Hurst said, adding that Murphy had been ‘unfairly criticized’ during the process.

The network and its news department are also the focus of a complaint to the CRTC, launched by cable and satellite companies, over its ‘save local TV‘ campaign.