▁t ensions ▁between ▁English - ▁and ▁French - spe aking ▁Canada , ▁not ably ▁a ▁potentially ▁nation - bre aking ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁crisis , ▁when ▁many ▁English - Can ad ian ▁pil ots ▁threatened ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁Montreal ▁Olympics ▁over ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁French ▁in ▁air ▁traffic ▁control . ▁His ▁approach ▁was ▁essentially ▁diplom atic , ▁but ▁he ▁used ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁threatened ▁public ▁den unci ation ▁and ▁tra dem ark ▁humor ▁to ▁promote ▁solutions . ▁▁▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁Sp ic er ▁was ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Radio - T ele vision ▁and ▁Tele communic ations ▁Commission . ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁he ▁promoted ▁Canadian ▁TV ▁programming , ▁support ▁for ▁artists , ▁respect ▁for ▁consum ers , ▁and ▁tele phone ▁competition . ▁He ▁led ▁a ▁four - year ▁campaign ▁to ▁reduce ▁grat uit ous ▁TV ▁violence ▁aim ed ▁at ▁children ▁under ▁ 1 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁unity ▁crisis ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Me ech ▁Lake ▁Acc ord ▁several ▁months ▁earlier , ▁he ▁took ▁an ▁eight - month ▁leave ▁from ▁his ▁duties ▁at ▁the ▁CR TC ▁at ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Brian ▁Mul r oney ▁to ▁chair ▁the ▁Cit izen ' s ▁Forum ▁on ▁National ▁Unity , ▁known ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁as ▁the ▁" Sp ic er ▁Commission ". ▁ ▁This ▁controvers ial ▁mass ▁consult ation ▁was ▁" a ▁dialog