Film body censures media houses

By Elizabeth Mwai

Media houses are flouting the law by airing programmes laced with vulgarity during prime time, a report has said.

The report by the Kenya Film Classification Board says programmes containing scenes and suggestive language intended for adult audiences are being broadcast between 5am and 10pm.

This report finds the highest violator as Radio Africa, which runs Classic TV, Classic FM, Kiss TV and Kiss FM at 48 per cent followed by Royal Media Services Citizen TV at 32 percent.

KBC is at 16 percent, followed by KTN at eight per cent while NTV is at 4 four percent.

The board’s chief executive officer David warned media houses that continued violation of this laws will lead to revocation of licenses.

“I have already sent warning letters to some media houses asking them to desist from broadcasting these programmes during the watershed period,” said Pkosing.

In a letter, which the standard is privy to the board, has written to Radio Africa expressing concern that they were airing content of an adult nature during the watershed period.

The report details a monitoring analysis capturing date, time and nature of the adult content aired.

The letter copied to Information Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo and Communication Commission of Kenya Director General Charles Njoroge warns the media houses that continued violation would attract legal action.

“Programmes including talk shows aired during the watershed hours should be suitable for general exhibition that is containing almost zero of adult scenes or of no significant impact,” said Pkosing.

The report, conducted between July and October this year, found programs containing mainly foul language, occult, violence and crime scenes.

Music videos being aired were found to be featuring nude scenes, while some talk shows were found to be using pornographic language during prime time.

The report takes issue with some call-in programmes that seem to demean women by glorifying wife beating.

“This is content for adult aired within watershed period,” says Pkosing adding “callers give their answers in a language that is unsuitable for young listener. The young also get the wrong ideas about engaging in sex”.

In some programmes, some callers, mainly women, glorify married men’s sexual performance level compared to their married counterparts.

This situation, the report deduces, is likely to encourage extramarital affairs.

According to the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey, 44 percent of the new HIV infections are mainly among married couples.

Therefore, the report warns that such programmes corrupt the morals of the children as they promote sexual misconduct.

Pkosing urged Kenyans to protect children from being exposed to programmes that promote negative behaviour.

The commission also censured popular wrestling matches saying they should be aired after 10pm.