Broadcasting Commission Renews Calls for Media to Uphold Standards

Chairman of the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, Professor Hopeton Dunn, has renewed calls for the broadcast media to uphold the highest standard in their output.

Speaking at a public consultation held on Wednesday, October 9, at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St. Andrew, Professor Dunn said that too many breaches are occurring in the broadcast arena.

He urged media managers and officials to correct these violations or the Commission will have to take action.

“We continue to have challenges in relation to the content standards in the sector. We are once again, encouraging greater care and monitoring of the sector by those who are concerned with output quality, and we are also very much encouraging…a greater degree of self regulation so that by the time something comes to us, it is in the process of been remedied, and better yet, to prevent so many infringements to come to our attention,” Professor Dunn stated.

Several persons attending the forum voiced dissatisfaction with the programming of the various broadcasting entities, especially their “over reliance” on foreign content.

Other concerns were expressed about the broadcasting of graphic details of horrific crimes during newscasts, while representatives of the disabled community raised concern about “insulting words” used to describe them by broadcasters and other media professionals.

Professor Dunn said that the consultations, organised by the Commission, “represent a very important means of gathering public information about the work that the Broadcasting Commission is doing. It gives an opportunity to share perspectives by the Commission on its own work, and also get the feedback from different sectors.”

“Your feedback will help us to fashion our determination and our recommendations going forward, because, it is feedback from meetings such as these that has provided us with the opportunity in the past, to make the changes where necessary, in the way we intended to proceed,” he added.

The Commission will host five other consultations across the island – October 23 in Montego Bay; October 30, Mandeville; November 6, Negril; November 21, Ocho Rios; and November 27 in Port Antonio.