THE BROADCASTING Commission, in a bid to improve standards in the local cable industry, is to embark on a national consultation on programming standards.
It will seek public opinion on a revised set of standards for programming content, Major Ian Miles, the commission's executive director, said in a statement on the weekend.
He expressed confidence that the consultation will impact positively on the quality of programmes transmitted by licensees, especially those that portray violence and sexuality. "The aim will not be to restrict or censor freedom of information but to guard public interest against potentially harmful content," he said.
It comes against the background of what he described as the "public dissatisfaction with standards in the electronic mass media industry".
The executive director disclosed that complaints to the commission during the October to December quarter last year were dominated by subscribers dissatisfied with the quality of the technical service provided by local cable providers.
Frequent breakdowns, poor picture and sound quality and the absence of stand-by power facilities made up 40 per cent of the complaints received during the period, the commission said. This was followed by 29 per cent of cable subscribers who expressed dissatisfaction with the level of customer service.
Most, according to the commission, complained about rude or discourteous company representatives, the non-provision of channel listings and tardiness in providing cable service to new customers.
During the same period, only 10 per cent of complaints were about broadcast television or radio. Inappropriate programming content (obscene or lewd) dancehall lyrics on some radio stations was cited as the major problem by the radio audience.
To ensure licensees comply with the terms and conditions of their licences, all complaints reported to the commission are investigated to determine whether there is a breach of the Broadcasting and Radio Re-Diffusion Act, Major Miles said. Where investigations reveal a breach, the offending licensee is given notice to take remedial action. "If remedial action is not followed within a specified time, the commission makes a recommendation to the Minister of Information for the licences to be suspended," he explained. The Minister has final authority on the application of sanctions against licensees.
