National code for broadcasters to be established

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards (SVGBS) will formally establish a technical committee to work on the preparation of a national standard on the code of practices for broadcasting.{{more}}

This national standard will contain guidelines for the content of programmes and material transmitted by radio and television broadcasters. Specifically, the standard will seek to address: broadcasters’ responsibilities towards the family, children and the community; observance of standards with respect to the treatment of violence, crime, drugs, sex, news, current affairs and advertising; and, fairness and honesty in dealing with controversies, personal attacks, politics and religion.

The standard will additionally prescribe specific guidelines for broadcasting services in relation to a number of issues including: Protection of children; Harm, abuse and discrimination; Crime; Race; Due Impartiality and due accuracy in the reporting of news; Election coverage; Fairness and privacy; Information and warnings; Advertising and sponsorship and Religion.

To officially launch this committee, a stakeholder’s seminar will be convened on Thursday, October 13, at the Department of Telecommunications conference room, third floor, CLICO Building, Kingstown, at 9.00 a.m. A brief opening ceremony will take place during the launch, with brief addresses from Ezra D. Ledger, Executive Director of the SVGBS and Maxwell Charles, Minister of Information.

Specifically, this seminar will formally establish the committee, outline the modalities of preparing national standards, present the scope, purpose and objectives of the code, as well as receive comments and feedback as per this work activity.

The SVGBS is the only national standards body that has the authority, inter alia, “…. to prepare and promote standards relating to goods, services, processes and practices and as such the SVGBS remains committed to the creation and maintenance of a National Quality Infrastructure built on the pillars of Standards, Quality Assurance and Metrology and by virtue to use these pillars to build confidence and quality competitiveness.”