GREENAGAINST MURMURINGS of disapproval of the new regulations for programming from the broadcasting community, the Broadcasting Commission has released the latest details of breaches of current programming laws.
CVM-TV, ZIP 103 FM and Jamaica Amalgamated Cable Services (JACS) were investigated in the last quarter of the year, following public complaints arising from daytime broadcast of material deemed unsuitable.
Public apologies and internal disciplinary action on the part of ZIP 103 FM and JACS have since satisfied the Commission, but CVM-TV must now submit a detailed report on its system of vetting content for broadcast to the Commission.
According to the Executive Director at the Broadcasting Commission, Cordel Green, the television station has been asked to submit the report, because of previous and similar breaches to broadcasting regulations.
On the afternoon of June 27, 2002, CVM-TV broadcast the movie "Fear" which, according to the Commission, included scenes of graphic violence and sexual foreplay. As such, the station had breached section 30 (d) of the Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulations which prohibits transmitting "any indecent or profane matter" and section 30 (i) that prohibits "any portrayal of violence which offends against good taste, decency or public morality."
According to a release issued yesterday by the Broadcasting Commission, "the breaches were particularly troubling given that the broadcast occurred early in the afternoon, when children could have been easily exposed to the material".
CVM-TV's Angela Patterson explained to The Gleaner yesterday that the station had geared a movie slot in the afternoon over the summer aimed at older teenagers and young adults and denied that the material shown was damaging for such an audience.
"Certainly they (the Commission) have a right to ask and we do have a vetting system," she said. "If they feel it needs to be strengthened then they will make such a recommendation."
She asserted that rating was a matter of subjective opinion and conflicts were inevitable.
Meanwhile, ZIP 103 FM was cited for playing an unedited version of the Ja Rule/J-Lo smash "I'm Real", which contains profanity, on July 4 also breaching section 30 (d) of the broadcasting regulations. JACS was called up for transmitting a local play, on May 29, which contained expletives and simulation of sexual intercourse, breaking the same part of the law. The play, "Fire Inna Yuh Wire", was shown at 10:15 a.m.
JACS Technical Director Errol Robinson explained that procedures were in place to keep unsuitable content off of "normal" channels offered by the company and expressed regret for the mistake when contacted yesterday.
"For some reason an employee inadvertently caused one (adult programme) to be aired on a channel that was in the clear," he said. "For some reason it was allowed to go through at a time that was not appropriate."
The employee in question was fired, he said.
"We dealt with the situation because we do not support that type of thing," Mr. Robinson continued. "This is something that we have to take some hard and decisive action against anybody and we apologise to those people who were offended."
"It was not wilfully done," explained ZIP 103 FM's marketing manager Brian Schmidt. "Sometimes mistakes are made, in broadcasting we have to be a little more careful than some other businesses."
He explained that the station had suspended the disc jockey responsible for airing the Ja Rule hit and apologised to their listeners and this had satisfied the Broadcasting Commission. However, according to the Commission, the station has been directed to implement appropriate measures to prevent a recurrence.
The Broadcasting Commission denied that this latest release was timed to dampen the murmurs of discontent that have arisen since the launch of the Children's Code of Programming earlier this month. Broadcasters and cable operators had complained that the moves were impractical and excessive, although the urge to protect children from unsuitable programmes had been well received.
"It is well timed," Mr. Green conceded, but insisted that it was merely a continuation of "a number of cases that have come before the Commission that validated concerns people have about scheduling programmes."
"Something clearly is wrong," he said, noting that such cases were proof that the new code of programming was necessary.
The Children's Code of Programming requires broadcasters to rate and schedule their programming, to ensure that damaging material is kept out of the sight of children. Cable operators are also required to rate channels and will probably need to create packages designed with certain ages in mind.
