Too much sex on TV

ALTHOUGH less than 30 persons were in attendance, Wednesday’s public forum on the draft Broadcasting Code sparked heated debate about too much sex on television, during prime time viewing. Telecommunications director, Cagney Casimire, lamented the small attendance at the Gulf City Auditorium, but the topic gripped the audience and made the afternoon discussion lively. Identifying himself as a member of the St Patrick Community Council, a resident of Siparia told the panel that recently, his children and grandchildren were getting dress for school one morning, when a show depicting simulated sex was being shown on a cable channel.

It was around 8 am, the elderly man said, and he immediately switched off the television. “What regulations are there in place, to police these shows?” the man asked. The consultation was chaired by Casimire, Telecommunications director Dr Ronald Ramkissoon, and corporate secretary Stephen Bereaux. Casimire told the audience that mechanisms would have to be implemented to check on sexually explicit scenes.

One person questioned the basis for having a Broadcast Code. Casimire noted that codes of a number of countries were examined, including the United States, Canada, Nigeria and New Zealand. However, he told the audience that the TT Broadcasting Code was modelled on the British Code. Casimire said a code must not only guarantee freedom of expression, but also be one that would encourage “nation-building.”