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Illegal Content

Access to the airwaves makes the electronic mass media a powerful and influential force in modern society. Injunctions are therefore entrenched in the broadcasting laws to uphold the rights of citizens, users of the services and protect children from exposure to potentially harmful matter.

It is illegal for licensees to air the following types of content:

1. any matter in contravention of the Laws of Jamaica
   
   
2. any statement concerning or comment upon the race, colour, creed, religion or sex of any person which is abusive or derogatory or any pictorial representation thereof except where such
   
    statement, comment or representation is contained in a news report or in a programme on matters of public interest or is an objective report thereon;
   
   
3. any malicious, scandalous or defamatory matter;
4. any indecent or profane matter, so, however, that any broadcast to which regulation 26 relates shall not be deemed indecent;
   
   
5. any advertising matter which the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe to be false or deceptive in whole or part;
   
   
6. any news or matter which the licensee or his employee or agent who is concerned in the collection, editing, publication or printing knows or has reasonable cause to know is false or misleading;
   
   
7. any matter which is offensive in the description of any function or symptomatic result of disturbance of the human body or relief therefrom through the use of any appliance or medicament;
   
   
8. any offensive description or pictorial representation of the mutilated disfigurement of the human body;
   
   
9. any advertisement or programme which, in relation to an educational institution or other institution or agency, offers a promise of employment as an inducement for enrolment as a student or client thereof, as the case may be;

11. any matter which is likely to incite violence or criminal activity or lead to a breach of the peace;
    
    
12. any portrayal of violence which offends against good taste, decency or public morality (according to regulation 30 of the Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulations)

Subscriber television services may only show adult programming between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.

For more information on the Broadcasting Commission, check other sections of our website or email us at: email

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