TVJ will not broadcast road march live
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Television Jamaica (TVJ) will not air the carnival road march live, for the first time in over a decade, whilst rival CVM TV will make its decision this week, amidst fears
of violating Broadcast Commission directives.
Osborne. general manager TVJ
This soca sacrifice will cost the stations a lot of advertising revenue but avoid costly penalties and public criticism.
"We have considered all the implications to us and the most important priority is that we are in compliance with the rules," Kay Osborne general manager TVJ told the Observer. "All things considered we felt this is the best decision to make."
CVM TV will by Friday decide whether to air the march live. "We are in serious discussions at the moment about whether we can have a live broadcast of the road march because the Broadcasting Commission has made it clear and we have to be careful about body gyrations," noted Ronnie Sutherland CVM marketing manager. "We might not be able to run it based on the guidelines."
Traditionally, several hours would be slotted for the march, but this year TVJ will show a one hour edited version on the same day (April 19) at 9 pm.
The cut in air time will mean less slots for advertising. Already major sponsor Digicel has begun renegotiating its contract with TVJ. It has sponsored the live broadcast of carnival on TVJ for a number of years.
"Given the situation this year, we are currently in discussions with TVJ to establish what our options are," noted Wayne Miller, head of marketing for Digicel Jamaica. "Clearly however, we would not want to deprive the Jamaican public from enjoying what is a spectacular event."
Other sponsors such as Wray & Nephew did not respond up to print time.
Within the annual march, the sights and sounds of 'daggering' are everywhere; in which soca lyrics instruct bikini clad revellers to thrust and pivot under the lubrication of the sun.
The stations are "not prevented from broadcasting the event", rather it is "an internal policy decision made by TVJ," clarified Nicole Morrision head of public relations at the Broadcasting Commission. But the criteria of compliance has changed.
Under new guidelines issued last month stations must "halt ... the transmission of any live presentation, audio recording or music video from the soca, hip hop or any other music genre, which promotes, contains references to, or is otherwise suggestive of, 'daggering' or which publicly displays, simulates or instructs about explicit sexual activities or positions..."
The Commission included soca music in its ban on the prohibition of lewd dancehall songs. The soca ban followed public cries of hypocrisy in ignoring similar activities in other musical forms.
The carnival march is run by Jamaica Carnival and Bacchanal. Thus far, the Bacchanal group which has been the only visible group and it declined to comment up to print time.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Television Jamaica (TVJ) will not air the carnival road march live, for the first time in over a decade, whilst rival CVM TV will make its decision this week, amidst fears
of violating Broadcast Commission directives.
Osborne. general manager TVJ
This soca sacrifice will cost the stations a lot of advertising revenue but avoid costly penalties and public criticism.
"We have considered all the implications to us and the most important priority is that we are in compliance with the rules," Kay Osborne general manager TVJ told the Observer. "All things considered we felt this is the best decision to make."
CVM TV will by Friday decide whether to air the march live. "We are in serious discussions at the moment about whether we can have a live broadcast of the road march because the Broadcasting Commission has made it clear and we have to be careful about body gyrations," noted Ronnie Sutherland CVM marketing manager. "We might not be able to run it based on the guidelines."
Traditionally, several hours would be slotted for the march, but this year TVJ will show a one hour edited version on the same day (April 19) at 9 pm.
The cut in air time will mean less slots for advertising. Already major sponsor Digicel has begun renegotiating its contract with TVJ. It has sponsored the live broadcast of carnival on TVJ for a number of years.
"Given the situation this year, we are currently in discussions with TVJ to establish what our options are," noted Wayne Miller, head of marketing for Digicel Jamaica. "Clearly however, we would not want to deprive the Jamaican public from enjoying what is a spectacular event."
Other sponsors such as Wray & Nephew did not respond up to print time.
Within the annual march, the sights and sounds of 'daggering' are everywhere; in which soca lyrics instruct bikini clad revellers to thrust and pivot under the lubrication of the sun.
The stations are "not prevented from broadcasting the event", rather it is "an internal policy decision made by TVJ," clarified Nicole Morrision head of public relations at the Broadcasting Commission. But the criteria of compliance has changed.
Under new guidelines issued last month stations must "halt ... the transmission of any live presentation, audio recording or music video from the soca, hip hop or any other music genre, which promotes, contains references to, or is otherwise suggestive of, 'daggering' or which publicly displays, simulates or instructs about explicit sexual activities or positions..."
The Commission included soca music in its ban on the prohibition of lewd dancehall songs. The soca ban followed public cries of hypocrisy in ignoring similar activities in other musical forms.
The carnival march is run by Jamaica Carnival and Bacchanal. Thus far, the Bacchanal group which has been the only visible group and it declined to comment up to print time.
Comment