Plug pulled: Broadcasting Commission orders Nationwide to end 'Ragashanti Live'
Published:Tuesday | March 15, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
The management of Nationwide News Network (NNN) says it is seeking legal advice as it prepares to respond to a directive from the Broadcasting Commission to pull the plug on the controversial talk show 'Ragashanti Live'.
In a release late yesterday, the commission said it had instructed NNN to immediately discontinue transmission of the radio programme in its current daytime slot.
The commission also warned that if the Cliff Hughes-led NNN failed to comply with this directive, its licence could be suspended.
"The station has been required to take the necessary steps to bring its programming into conformity with its public service broadcasting licence and the applicable broadcasting regulations," the commission said in a release buttressed by excerpts from the programme.
According to the Broadcasting Commission, it issued the directive after receiving numerous public complaints over the last two months and following its review of NNN's programming during the period February 7 to March 2, 2011.
18 serious breaches
"As a result, Nationwide News Network Limited has been cited by the commission for at least 18 serious breaches of its licence and of the broadcasting regulations."
The Broadcasting Commission said: "The host of 'Ragashanti Live' (Dr Kingsley Stewart) was found to regularly engage in and encourage callers to voice scandalous, derogatory and insulting remarks which, according to the regulations, should not be transmitted from any sound broadcasting facilities of radio licensees at any time.
"The programme was also found to be largely dedicated to explicit and detailed discussions by the host and by some callers of adult sexual activity and situations, unsuitable for unencrypted daytime listening, especially by children," charged the commission.
Ragashanti has had several clashes with the Broadcasting Commission since his programme exploded on the media landscape while it was aired on NewsTalk 93 FM.
On one occasion, the commission recommended the suspension of the broadcasting licence of NewsTalk based on comments which Ragashanti made on his programme.
Since then, the programme shifted to NNN after a fallout with the management of NewsTalk.
On his programme yesterday, Ragashanti received support from several callers who chided the Broadcasting Commission despite his appeal for calm.
"I don't want Nationwide Network to get into any trouble for me. I will be okay. A life! This nah go be the end of me, and it will not be the end between me and them," Ragashanti said.
He argued that he was being targeted by several persons, including officials of the Broadcasting Commission and competitors at other radio stations.
"Me a go bounce an Internet show. This is not the last of me," was the promise Ragashanti made to his fans as he ended what might have been his last afternoon programme on NNN yesterday.