Last week i was thoroughly disappointed by one of Kenya's leading broadcasting stations NTV network for callousness and failure to adhere to basic moral codes, general decency and professional journalistic /media standards.On Saturday afternoon,Sunday Afternoon and Evening( after prime time news) they aired movies that had numerous curse words, abusive and derogatory terms, nudity ,sex and other visually offensive scenes.Even in the West where free press reigns some things are censored!Its not enough to display the SVNL (Sex Violence Nudity and Offensive Language) tag and then proceed to air immoral movies especially during the day when the entire family is at home!
My small son may soon start shouting Pu....., calling women b#$%@ and running around the house naked due to exposure to day time movies from"the leading broadcaster" .After all its what is seen on TV, its "the in thing" .If he gets Gonorrhea from some young perverted mind (the Umoja incident)it may be that he was cajoled to act out a scene he saw on tv... so whats the harm? Kuna ubaya gani?
Mind you im censoring what he sees im not abrogating my responsibility to this senseless persons but what if im not at home and the maid or my wife turns on the TV to keep the child occupied while she is working elsewhere! What happened to the media oversight board?If that happens im suing for a test suit for negligence !Thats the language this Guys will understand i bet! They will know why media in the west is particularly careful about what they air to the general public especially on prime TV.
Then we wonder why Kids are running amok in schools, why violent crime, raping,abuses, disrespectful teenagers, teenage pregnancies, criminality ,pornography rings, alcohol and drug abuse and other social vices are increasing by the day .No matter what the argument as to what is moral or immoral, acceptable or unacceptable, this valuable divine saying stands true" Do not be Misled ,God is not one to be mocked , whatever a man sows this he will also reap".You plant beans you reap beans period! Vice will continue to increase ten fold in so long as certain socially unacceptable and discordant behavior is sugar coated and passed off as entertainment! Mankind will continue to graple with myriads and myriads of problems so long as he continues to educate the feeble young minds that certain things are not so bad after all and that "its only just a movie" the reality in truth is that one only carries out what he has thought and mused about in his heart and mind.
The Minister for Tourism has blamed the recent violent strikes in Kenyan schools on a failed education system but the reality is that as long as adults fail to show a basic sense of morality and responsibility the young members of society will always display similar attitude.Change the education systems but keep everything constant the result will still be the same ...failure! If NTV is not responsible and descent enough to sensor what they air and civil society fails to act and pressure them to conform to basic decency and moral standards ... then why should society expect Kenyan teenagers then to be responsible and descent in their activities!
On a positive note: Kenya will be hosting the first African Aitec sponsored Broadcast and Film Conference and Exhibition from 23-25 September, 2008.The press release can be found at http://www.aitecafrica.com/
NTV even their tag line is naughty. Turning on Kenya. Too bad. Saturday and Sunday afternoons surely they should know better. In fact daytime as a whole. They should split their programs into 2 - daytime and night time viewing.
ReplyDeleteNow that young lady of Gonorrhea! What is the world coming to? Why would she infect such young kids with disease?! Couldn't she have kept her perversions among adults who at least know what they're doing?
I agree with you that Kenyan TV was so swift to become Westernised that they never did put in the checks and measures that Western TV stations attempt to put in to prevent kids from watching the filth that is being screened.
ReplyDeleteBut that being said, too many Kenyan parents are going to Western way and letting tv babysit their kids. Make your children read books, play outside and do homework instead of sitting in the house watcching tv and surfing the net.
I concur with Shiko and Acolyte 100% ...but i think there is abig problem at Nation Media, i now tend to believe the disgruntled or maybe jilted employee who has been frequently posting stuff about NMG and the scandals that rock it! have you guys come accross that stuff...its like straight out of a soap opera script.if not i may just publish the link...obviously you wouldnt expect better from such guys!!!!
ReplyDeleteI concur with Shiko and Acolyte 100% ...but i think there is abig problem at Nation Media, i now tend to believe the disgruntled or maybe jilted employee who has been frequently posting stuff about NMG and the scandals that rock it! have you guys come accross that stuff...its like straight out of a soap opera script.if not i may just publish the link...obviously you wouldnt expect better from such guys!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've come across those Nation Media stories. Just unbelievable! You'd expect a high level of professionalism from such an organization!
ReplyDeleteMost of the equipments today come with parental control features that assist in choosing the right viewing environment for the family. So the broadcast licensing authorities need to enforce the encoding of compatible control signals for all programmes being aired so that the VNSL signs are not just display tags.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Hlumiti our local stations need to seek out more technology to enable parents to block what they feel are indecent programs. In the meantime, the broadcasting houses should also use good old common sense to determine what to air when.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the higlight. The media company must really play a part to filter the show, TV scene.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, children learn to follow " values " in TV. Their absorbing power is very strong, this is the time that the media, government, society must act together to strengthen the good values, moral level.
Thanks for the add, this good article sets me thinking.
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ReplyDeleteGovt. should take some steps to stop these kind of things in air.. Here in India Govt. banned F TV for some while...
ReplyDelete@selerines
ReplyDeleteAti F TV!!! So what does the 'F' stand for?
If it's what I'm thinking, then the Indian government had no option but to just put them off air.