CBC refuses to air Tories anti-Ignatieff ads

The CBC has refused to air the Conservative party's television attack ads aimed at Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff because the ads violated the network's long-standing ban on political advertising.

The Tories approached CBC officials before the launch of the "Michael Ignatieff: just visiting" campaign and were told that an internal policy prevented the network from accepting political ads outside of times of elections.

As are other broadcasters, CBC is required to provide a share of its airtime to political parties during the writ period, but can set its own rules outside it.