Kenya has published new broadcast
regulations, which will place strict limits on sexual content and ban preachers
from soliciting money on air.
Explicit content will only be
allowed on the airwaves between 22:00 and 05:00 in order to protect children. Broadcasters
have until June to comply with the new rules.
Popular radio stations in the
country often broadcast explicit content during peak hours to attract audiences.
A morning ride to work on a bus in Kenya
will often mean listening to radio call-ins from fathers confessing to having
sexual feelings for their children, or women who are dissatisfied with the
performance of their husbands in the bedroom.
The new broadcast code also bans
preachers from soliciting money from audiences in exchange for blessings. Some preachers are thought to have built large
fortunes from the practice, gaining huge popularity in a country where 84% of
the population are Christians, although there have been cases of people suing
them when their blessings failed to materialise.
This is the first time a concerted
effort has been made to censor Kenyan radio stations. The new rules apply to
programmes as well as advertisements, programme listings and promotions.
No comments:
Post a Comment