The Jamaican Broadcasting Commission (Broadcasting Comission of Jamaica, BCJ) prohibited radio and television transmission of all content (audios, videos or speeches) that promote dangerous activities how to use weapons, consumption of drugs, law into one's own hands or other criminal activities such as scams.
Through a regulations that came into force last 11 October the regulatory body establishes that the prohibition is not only of the original material but also of content that is edited, for example, fragments of songs or parts of series, movies or speeches.
at his call, the Commission suggests to television station owners, radio stations and cinemas “carefully analyze the topic and the message” of the content that they are going to transmit with the aim of not breaking the law.
#BCJUpdate The Broadcasting Commission has issued a directive immediately banning the transmission of all content promoting illegal activities.
— Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (@BCJamaica) October 11, 2022
Keeping our airwaves clean!#BCJ #BCJamaica pic.twitter.com/rMFx3Hw7qt
Criticism among musicians
The regulatory body admitted that these new guidelines seek to address the crisis of violence that the country is experiencing, although voices have emerged criticizing the fact that artistic expressions want to be located as the origin of the problems the island is experiencing and that banning music or movies will not reduce murders, robberies and drug trafficking.
In this line the singer manifested himself, Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, Stephen McGregor, known as In Genius.
“The art imitates life and the music comes from what is happening in Jamaica for real, but because it doesn't fit the moral mold of how they would like it to look, they try to hinder him“, McGregor said.
further, the artist said he saw the ban as a free expression issue and that the Jamaican government would be better off addressing the root causes of the violence, such as the economic crisis caused by the pandemic that hit the country.
McGregor further argued that this decision was a way to scapegoat artists for larger state failures to address endemic problems and social unrest..
“People are not going to create happy and pleasant music of 'one love, a heart’ in those circumstances, creatives cannot be forced to paint a picture that is not really in front of us”, stressed.
Other Jamaican artists like Rvssian, NotNice and Romeich criticized this measure on their social networks.
little practical effect
They emphasized that would have little practical effect on violence, especially since most of the youngsters get their media from streaming platforms like Spotify or YouTube.
The Broadcasting Commission did not detail what consequences a violation of the regulations would imply and refused to respond to comments about criticism of the ban., while calling on the public to report alleged violators.
Jamaica has implemented such bans in the past, including one in 2009. Di Genius said his own music had been banned from the country's airwaves throughout his career for mentioning sex and guns., but the restrictions never really lasted.
