Clean-up of the airwaves must continue

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The announcement by the Broadcasting Commission to ban the playing of certain types of music by free-to-air broadcasting platforms which glorify and promote violence, lewdness and other antisocial behaviour should be seen by as a step in the right direction.

For over 20 years l have been flabbergasted, depressed and agitated to act in some shape or form against the purveyors of the filthy music that is played on air.

As a grown man, l cringed and hung my head in shame at the people behind these turntable, and their owners and advertisers. They have been allowing these foul-mouthed dancehall artistes to have such a free rein in undermining the little that is left of what we can call a society.

l have heard the intellectual refrain from the so-called experts on human behaviour at some of our institutions of higher learning. According to them, there is no empirical evidence that links the filth that we hear daily to the violence and antisocial behaviour we see around us.

But I am reminded of the saying that common sense isn’t so common, as any one who listens to soothing music will tell you that it make them more relaxed. So how is it that listening to music that promotes violence, hatred, misogyny and general antisocial behaviour does not influence people to be violent and antisocial.

l have noticed that the Media Association of Jamaica is peeved about the announcement by the Broadcasting Commission, as they were not consulted about this. Who was consulted when the DJs were allowed to unleash their filthy mayhem on us? The media landscape in Jamaica is perhaps the freest anywhere in the world, but with freedom comes responsibilities.

The free-to-air broadcasting platforms in Jamaica though, generally speaking, have done a fair job in providing us with news and entertainment. But it seems they have dropped the ball when it comes to supervising and controlling what is being aired on their stations.

Let’s hope international media houses can continue in the same direction and begin to regulate the content that is being aired through their platforms here.

WINSTON BARRETT

Kingston