As
if the JA$15 million dollar fine for Payola wasn't enough as explained in my blog article
entitled “Broadcasting
Commission's JA$15 Million Payola Fines - Show Me The Money on The Road to
Damascus, the Broadcasting Commission has even more fines that it can impose on
Broadcasters”.
Apparently,
they can be fined JA$200,000 in a Resident Magistrate's Court, under the
Disaster Risk Management Act for not immediately broadcasting certain News
releases or Dispatches from the ODPEM (Office of Disaster Management and
Emergency Management) as stated in the article “'Emergency'
Fines For Broadcasters”, Published Sunday November 16, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.
This
new Disaster Risk Management Act cleared the House of Representatives in
October 2014 and was passed into law by the Senate with eight (8) amendments.
Once the Governor-General's John Hancock goes on the Bill, it becomes Law.
This
means that Broadcasters, particularly Radio and Television, will be required to
immediately broadcast any News releases or Dispatches from the ODPEM (Office of
Disaster Management and Emergency Management) once it's designated as “urgent”
or “emergency”.
The
speed of the implementation suggests that the GOJ is worried about a potential
Ebola Outbreak as Travelers coming to Jamaica increase for Christmas as noted
in the article “Health
Ministry Prepares For Xmas Ebola Threat”, Published Sunday November 23,
2014, The Jamaica Gleaner and “Ebola
surveillance may cause airport delays — Ferguson”, published Sunday,
November 23, 2014 2:52 PM, The
Jamaica Observer.
Not
to mention the fact that Jamaica hasn’t yet reached 60% infected for the
Chikungunya Virus Infection to peak as predicted by Acting Chief Medical
Officer Dr Kevin Harvey as I'd mentioned in my blog article
entitled “Minister
of Health comes clean on Chikungunya Virus Epidemic - 35 Official Cases as 60
percent possibly Infected and Medicines running low”, as clearly, we’re not
prepared.
Which
suggests that if the Ebola Virus were to come to Jamaica, to run its course, we
might see 60% of the population infected before enough Serum could be made to
inoculate the rest of the Jamaica as opined in my blog article
entitled “No
Ebola Virus in Jamaica, claims Ministry of Health - 3,091 Dead in West Africa
and how 60% of Jamaica's population can die from Ebola”.
Broadcasters and the
Disaster Risk Management Act – Ebola This Christmas means National Alert System
Needed
Preceding
and ending the Broadcast must be a National Alert Tone if requested by ODPEM
and those News releases or Dispatches from the ODPEM have to be read in their
entirety. Interestingly, the News releases or Dispatches from the ODPEM are NOT
going to be read by the Presenters at the Radio or Television Station.
Rather,
what will happen is that during the event that an Emergency Broadcast from the
ODPEM needs to be made, it will be read in its entirety from a National
Emergency Operations Centre, which is basically a Broadcast Center that's
controlled by the Government of Jamaica.
Basically,
it'll be like an outside Broadcast type of setup; whenever an Emergency
Broadcast is to be made, the Radio or Television Station is contacted and
immediately the Broadcaster hands over access to their Radio and Television
channels to the National Emergency Operations Centre.
Then
the National Alert Tone is sounded, the News releases or Dispatches from the
ODPEM are read, and then the broadcast ends with the National Alert Tone. At
the end of that final National Alert Tone, the Broadcaster then retires back to
regular Programming.
Refusal
of the access to immediately and simultaneously broadcast News releases or Dispatches
from the ODPEM on all Radio and Television Stations is what will attract a fine
of JA$200,000 by a Resident Magistrate.
National Alert System
needed – Increased Travel means Ebola and Chikungunya Virus coming this
Christmas
There
is also a need for a National Siren System i.e. like Air Raid Sirens in Public
places. Jamaicans would be alerted via these sirens of imminent Natural
Disasters such as hurricanes earthquakes and conceivably Tsunamis a I'd
predicted in my blog
article entitled “Tsunami
watch needed urgently for real this time”.
All
of these above mentioned systems i.e. the National Alert Tone, National
Emergency Operations Centre and the National Siren System are a part of the
National Alert System which is needed for Emergency Broadcast, whether the
Broadcasters like it or not.
The
National Alert System is needed, whether or not Ebola is coming to Jamaica this
Christmas or not as predicted in my blog article
entitled “Trinidad
PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar's CARICOM Meeting - Preventing Caribbean Chikungunya
Virus and Ebola Virus Epidemic by Christmas 2014”!
My
only confusion is that the fine is less than Payola. Then again that may have
to be amended before the Governor-General signs the document.
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