Jamaican Broadcasters and Disaster Risk Management Act JA$200,000 Fine for National Alert System

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.