http://www.guardian.co.tt/

Talk your talk, advertising agencies have told radio talk show hosts, but watch your contents.

In a letter to the T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA), the Advertising Agencies Association of T&T warned that its members "will strongly encourage their clients to withdraw advertising support from any medium...whose representatives on the airwaves are found to be blatantly displaying, encouraging, inciting and/or promoting political or racial bias and disharmony."

The broadcast licence which governs radio stations prohibits any such action.

There has been growing concern over certain radio talk shows that seem to be encouraging racist views from callers. The concerns voiced by the AAATT are being added to those expressed by the Media Association of T&T and the Media Sector Committee of the T&T Chamber of Commerce.

MATT president Dale Enoch said yesterday the association has been monitoring several programmes and "is not pleased." MATT is also calling on the TTPBA to ensure on-air presenters adhere to the principles of quality programming and not promote violence.
TTPBA president Brandon Khan said there is a problem, but said it is already clearly stated in the broadcast licence. He said the government also has to decide how far it wants the programmes to go.

Khan added broadcasters also have their part to play.

"Clearly, we want good sense to prevail," AAATT president Ian Collier said yesterday.

"There might be some advertisers who say, ‘I don’t give a damn,’ and feel they will actually get more publicity from those programmes. There’s so much we can do but we feel one must do something."

Collier said the AAATT is also trying to clamp down on political advertising. The association has been reviewing ads and asking their members to make changes if claims cannot be verified or if it is not clear who the advertisement is from.