What is the ACB doing about the vulgarity shown on TV?

Dear Editor,

A few months ago, the ACB banned the playing of “rum songs” from the air, citing that it was harmful to society. The committee, which is the so-called television watchdog, is a toothless poodle; and it befuddles the mind as to what purpose it really serves. 

Many decent-minded citizens are against the airing of the “rum songs”, so that move by the ACB is a good one. But is the ACB seeing and hearing only these kinds of songs? Are they watching enough television, and all the television stations, in fact, to monitor their content? 

They are not, and there is proof to show that. But first, the ACB must declare its mandate; for after it does, the public will see how poorly the ACB is performing. Protecting viewers means to protect them from a variety of programmes, or material content that affects or is harmful to them. This means that harmful content is more than just “rum songs”.

Just  before  Christmas, while flicking through the channels, I landed on a television station that was airing local artistes’ music videos. It was mid-morning. Schools were out, children were at home and were watching TV. Suddenly, this station showed the music video of the artiste that snubbed the Mash Soca Competition by not turning up to defend her title. 

This video contained vulgar and pornographic content. There were the infamous “daggerin” movements, which are downright vulgar and pornographic. Editor, these scenes were of people dancing vulgarly at a resort. That song is most appropriate for watershed period or late night for adults; or, better yet, it is highly inappropriate for television broadcasting and should have never been shown. By the way, there was a letter appearing in another newspaper a few months ago complaining about that same television station showing vulgar videos of women. Does the ACB not read to have seen this? It didn’t apparently, because the TV station was showing these videos again. 

What troubled me was the time when this music video was shown — it was during a Saturday morning, when kids are home watching TV. My questions are: Where were the ACB members? Does the ACB work on weekends? How is it that the ACB sees only the “rum songs” as damaging to society but not these vulgar and pornographic videos being shown during the day on television? Perhaps the members are enjoying this vulgarity, considering that one member of theirs was in a problem over lewd speech. How ironic! 

The ACB must be made defunct now, and, when there is a proper system in place, reconstituted to do a proper job of serving and protecting viewers and children. Too much offensive content is on TV, and the ACB is not seeing this. They are only seeing “rum songs” as bad.

Yours respectfully,

D Rodney