Regulator Body starts monitoring TV, radio stations for abuse, breaches

Feb 16, 2018 News

The GNBA’s department which will be monitoring and recording radio and television broadcasts for breaches

The country’s regulator for radio and television operations has started monitoring and recording programmes for possible abuse and breaches.
The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) yesterday disclosed that its special department to monitor is up and running.
“One of the major functions of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is to ensure that broadcasters comply with the Broadcasting Act, 2011 and its 2017 Amendment. This function is actively undertaken by the GNBA’s Broadcast Monitoring and Compliance Department which is now fully operational.”
The authority disclosed that the department serves to critically analyse broadcast content.
“It is also responsible for archiving content aired by local radio and television stations in keeping with the Act and Amendment as well as the guidelines for broadcasters established by the authority. Members of the broadcasting sector and other stakeholders are reminded that these may be accessed on the website gnba.gov.gy.”
It was disclosed, yesterday, that the department comprises a full complement of staff, trained and equipped as Broadcast Monitoring and Compliance Officers.
“Its core objective is ensuring that broadcasters adhere to legal and other obligations under the law. Specifically, the department monitors and identifies all content contravening the Act, Amendment and Guidelines,” GNBA revealed.
Among other things, the department will be looking at news reporting with close-ups of serious injuries; undignified images of the dead and those suffering or in distress; footage of persons in emergency situations; indecency; racial; ethnic or other forms of incitement, religious or sectional hatred and disaffection in programmes
“Where hosts of call-in programmes do not disconnect callers or disclaim statement(s) which contain indecent, racial, ethnic, religious or sectional hatred and disaffection, an infraction occurs,” it was pointed out.
The department also monitors political broadcasts that are abusive or derogatory to race, colour, creed, religion or gender.
“Included for monitoring is suicide and self-harm presented as acceptable solutions or presenting domestic violence as desirable and acceptable. Advertisements transmitted during children’s programmes such as alcoholic drinks or trailers of films with adult content are strictly monitored including promoting public events containing explicit sexual overtures or exposing children to danger.”
The broadcasting field has been widened with new radio stations licensed in recent years.
According to GNBA, the department is currently using a colour code system to categorise infractions.
Yellow is used for minor infraction which can be easily rectified. Orange is for infractions with significant impact and effects and which is not easily rectifiable.
Red is a fundamental breach of the Broadcast Licence, the Act, the Amendment or any combination, the authority noted.
“The department forwards infractions to the Monitoring and Compliance Committee of the GNBA which advises the board of such infractions and procedures for dealing with them.
According to section 38 (2) of the Act “Licensees are required to retain, for a period not exceeding five years, a recording of every programme included in the licensed service and are required to produce at the request of the authority, any such recording for examination or reproduction.”
The authority also said that its Monitoring and Compliance Department is looking forward to a harmonious working relationship with all stakeholders as it endeavours to improve the standard of broadcast content across Guyana in compliance with the Act, Amendment and the Guidelines.

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