Complaint Review: GlobalMedia CTV Chris Olsen Olsen on Your Side Stephen Andrew A-Channel CFAX radio

These people Rip Off Canadian families with irresponsible reporting, ignoring facts, sensationalizing facts and events, preying on hard working honest Canadian Entrepreneurs to boost ratings and make themselves look like good samaritans by their sleazy reporting practices.

Many Canadian families have lost tens of thousands of dollars due to the actions of these entities.  In March of 2007 CTV aired a series of stories on Rebekah Donszelmann, Steve Weeres and Pacific Innovations Ltd. from Victoria, BC.  Over eighty families were well on their way to owning their first business, and in fact some already had them, when CTV aired the series.  The natural consequences were 100% predictable, the businesses all fell apart as employees quit, customers were lost, and the two people that were heading up the project and key to its success were threatened.  CTV having been in the media business for years could have easily predicted that.

As a result of these airings Steve Weeres and Rebekah Donszelmann were investigated by the RCMP, the Securities Exchange Commission, and other regulatory bodies.  No one ever questioned either of the two, as bank records obtained from the two Company bank accounts were obtained by the RCMP and all monies had gone to their intended uses, to purchase businesses and pay the people working on the projects.

As a result of the airings, Steve and Rebekah were sued for fraud.  At the trial the judge indicated there was no evidence of fraud at all, and that the plaintiffs had to be careful of   allegations of fraud.  Steve and Rebekah were awarded costs.

So, the bank account was fine, the project was on track, and people had dreams of owning their own chain of businesses, and were getting the expertise to replicate from Steve and Rebekah in training.  There was no foul.  But it was aired with a completely different twist.  Rebekah could walk into her bank and cash a third party cheque for up to $50,000, and she could debit purchase up to $20,000.  She earned that through years of a trusting relationship with her bank.  Rebekah signed PERSONALLY on leases for stores and equipment for the groups.  Are these the actions of a dishonest person with ill intent?  NO.  CTV constantly aired an empty cash drawer, what happened to the $72,000 that Rebekah put into it to start the operation.  Vancouver may have been mismanaged, but the group voted in their own General Manager, and it wasnt Rebekah or Steve.

The business the group had was a forty-nine year old third generation business that Rebekah purchased for them.  The cost was $50,000.  The previous owner was Mr. Warren, a very gentle and kind fellow from England who sold because he had a stroke.  Mr. Warrens life work was mocked as cameras showed up and filmed his business, implying that it wasnt a real business, not suitable for the group.  Mr. Warren lost his retirement money.

CTV pulled all the airings off the internet when Steve and Rebekah launched their lawsuit against them.  It was difficult to get copies, and CTV was citing legal reasons for not sending them out.  Their attorneys finally got copies in 2008.

Since then CTV has aired Steve and Rebekah two more times, again with completely false information.  Even the picture of Steve laying on the beach in Mexico isnt Steve, it is someone who used to work for Steve.  Is this responsible reporting?  Here is what CTV conveniently forgot to tell the public.

The Retirement Project headed up by Steve and Rebekah was FREE.  It was an initiative set up in Mexico to help the poor, and there was no cost.  Why would CTV air SCAM ARTISTS TURN UP IN MEXICO when Steve and Rebekah are trying to help the poor?  Maybe they are trying to keep them poor so they dont move forward with their legal action?  CTV killed that project too.

Steve had written and developed an interactive learning program, Master Keys to Success and was being aired all across the United States as a product for violence in the schools.  CTV had a copy of the televison program and even posted a picture of Steve from that video sent to them.  

In addition to the video Steve and Rebecca provided, which was never aired, they also granted a 25 minute exclusive interview with Chris Olden, of which all the facts were ignored, and three seconds were aired.  Why did CTV ignore ALL that good information about Rebekah and Steve and air their stories anyway?

Now CTV and Olsen strike again.  His report from Shankar Mattay is, to say the least, the worst investigative reporting ever.  The facts are quite different.  Shankar Mattay made his deposit on his motorhome of $10,000 and Steve and Rebekah promply ordered the unit from the manufacturer.  Shankar took too long to arrange the balance of the financing and the manufacturer gave them one more week to pay it in full, as it was ready to ship.  Shankar Mattay was advised of this, and he couldt get the funds in time.  They ended up ordering another unit and delivered it to him.  The picture on the CTV airing has his wife and daughter standing inside the unit!  His daughter is cropped out and his wifes face was blurred.

In addition, in correspondence sent to Shankar Mattay, Steve and Rebekah were seeking solutions to their business shutting down in Alberta, Steve proposed five options.  The first option was for him to get a new motorhome.  He opted for the second option and his email reads as follows:  Hi Steve, We have reviewed the options proposed by you.  We would like to proceed with Option 2.  Option 2 was to come to a mutual agreement on the amount and pay that.  Steve and Rebekah have been working diligently on that project since they have had those instructions, despite CTVs constant interference.

Olsen isnt on your side, Olsen is offside.  He will air whatever it takes for ratings and doesnt care who loses money or whose reputation he destroys.  There is a team of legal people working on this, and Steve and Rebekah have been advised to keep silent, and they have.

CTV should pay back EVERY single person that has lost money due to their actions.  Clearly, there were many businesses that failed due to the actions of CTV, Chris Olsen, Stephen Andrew of A-Channel, and CFAX radio.  Time has shown that there never was any illegitimate business practices and many Canadian families have lost money, not due to Steve and Rebekah as the reports suggest, but rather due to the irresponsible reporting and misuse of public media.  It is anyones right to report to the media, but if the media doesnt do proper investigation before reporting, or ignores facts presented and airs anyway, who is ever going to trust the news?

They should also air a public retraction for their interference against Steve and Rebekahs and their business interests.  What they aired was not news, it was show business.