Should call-in
programmes be restricted by the government?
By
Candy Edwards
Introduction
Gentlemen, as
Vincentians await the return of the Prime Minister from
his much-needed vacation; as the West Indies Cricket Team
continues to be humiliated by South Africa; as we
continue to speculate about the date of the impending
general elections; as the man and woman on the street
grapple to make ends meet; I invite you to pause with me
for a while as we take a look at a crucial issue. I refer
to the state of interactive radio in St. Vincent and the
Grenadines today.
In the letter of April
02, 2005 we discussed whether or not radio was out of
control. As you may recall the discussion was lively,
enlightening and entertaining. The 24 persons who
contributed to the discussion all expressed varying
views. I did also propose to continue to explore the
issue in subsequent letters. Today, I wish to do so by
focusing exclusively on interactive radio
or talk-radio. This is the popular
programming format that gives listeners the opportunity
to call a radio station and express a view on practically
any topic of interest.
In the opening
paragraph of the letter to which I just referred I stated
as follows:
- "The talk
shows and call-in programmes aired on some radio
stations in this country are out of control. I
therefore join with other concerned persons to
urge the authorities to place some severe
restrictions on the radio stations, particularly
those who have allowed their talk shows to
degenerate in to nothing more than forums for the
expression of the vile, vulgar, violent and
vicious culture that characterizes the
…society today."
My position has not
changed, except that there is now a greater sense of
urgency to do something about most of these call-in
programmes. That is why I pose this question: Should call-programmes
be restricted by the government?
Talk and the
Vincentian Society
To understand the
social significance of call-in radio programmes in the
state today, it might be necessary to reflect briefly on
the role of "talk" as a socio-cultural
phenomenon in the society. Vincentians simply love to
talk. Some social anthropologists may describe the
community as an oral society in which verbal
communication of all sorts is the centre of human
interaction. We use the spoken word to express our
desires; to seek information; to convey information; to
tell stories; to communicate the full range of emotions.
Essentially we use talk as the principal means to assert
our humanity. Indeed, it would make a fascinating study
to explore the role and significance of talk in the
Vincentian society.
In an article
published in the Vincentian newspaper of
Friday May 13, 2005, prominent educator Mr. Winfield
Williams shares some interesting observations about the
place of talk in our communities. He suggests that our
penchant for prattle might be therapeutic. However, much
of the talk in which we engage is meant to "bring
ruin and destruction on the lives of others".
Traditionally, talk of
all kind takes place in the home, in the hills, at the
rivers side in the bars, the rum shops, on the blocks, in
the barbershops and hair salons, at the bus stops, on the
buses- wherever two or more people find it necessary to
congregate. The talk is often on a wide range of specific
issues both personal and national. However, whatever the
topic, it tends to fall under the heading Sex, Money,
Religion or Politics.
Today, radio presents
a new forum in which talk can take place. It is no longer
sufficient to express your views in the confines of your
home, your favourite bar, on the block or any other such
place. In a real sense, the entire nation has become the
living room; all of the country is an open bar; and
everyone can now sit on the block and engage in ole-talk.
Thanks to these call-in programmes. Radio, has taken
talk, the national pastime, to heights hitherto unknown.
The tone and the tenor of the conversations have not
improved with the technology. Everything said is now laid
bare before the globe. The nation appears to relish in
this new forum for talk and are prepared to enjoy it to
the fullest despite the dangers it brings.
The Call-in
Programmes
Throughout any given
week, Vincentians have a plethora of call-programmes on
radio from which to choose. I have spent a considerable
amount of time listening to most of them. I now share my
thoughts on these programmes, the hosts/moderators and
the callers. I wish that you and your listeners would
bear with me for a few minutes as I go through this
process.
For the purpose of
today’s discussion the call-programmes have been
placed in five categories. They are:
- Sunday
Morning/Afternoon Call-in Programmes
- Day Time Call-in
Programmes
- Night Time Call-in
Programmes
- Sports Call in
Programmes
- Saturday Morning
Radio Discussion
These are the programmes
in which a substantial amount of time is spent discussing
national issues. I did not list those that are generally
devoted to light chitchat, birthday greetings and general
shout outs.
Sunday
Morning/Afternoon Call-Programmes
Three such programmes
have grown popular with listeners. They include Cross-talk
aired on Cross Country Radio and currently hosted by Mr.
Junior Bacchus. The other is Hitz-talk
aired on Hitz FM and generally hosted by Mr Maxian Harry.
The third of these shows is Issue At Hand
carried by WE FM and hosted by Mr P. John, Mr Cecil Ryan
and Mr Jomo Thomas. The Sunday programmes generally focus
on a specific issue using a panel of experts. Listeners
receive an abundance of information and are given the
opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns.
These programmes sell
themselves as non-partisan. However, they are far from
such. Issue at Hand is conducted at a radio
station that is practically owned by the ULP. The hosts,
John, Ryan and Thomas are also apologists for the party.
Irrespective of the issue, no one remotely associated
with the NDP has ever appeared as far as I could tell.
There is a tendency for the hosts to harass any caller
who seeks to criticize the Government. While the
programme is generally useful, it is too much like API. Hitz-talk
appears to offer more balance. One cannot accuse the
host, Mr. Harry of any bias one-way or the other.
However, he does appear to offer a little bit more
deference to Government ministers whenever they do
appear. Since Mr. Junior Bacchus took over as moderator
of Cross talk, the programme has become
decidedly anti-ULP. Junior pretends to be objective.
However, it is difficult for him to hide his bias. Cross
talk offers him another forum to persist with his
Anti-Ralph campaign.
Apart from the obvious
shortcomings of their respective hosts the Sunday
programmes do make a reasonable effort to inform and
educate. They ought to be more regular and the biased
moderators should restrain themselves.
Day Time Call-in
Programmes
There are only two
programmes in this category. They include Shake-up
aired on WE FM and hosted by Mr. Glen Jackson. The other
is the New Times programme
sponsored by the NDP and hosted by Mr Elwardo
"EG" Lynch. At its inception, Shake-up was the
most popular programme of its kind. Every other day time
call in programme since then has merely followed the
template laid down by Glen Jackson. In his hey day,
Jackson was hard-hitting and penetrative. The host and
the programme lived up to its name as a social agitator.
It is true to say that Glen Jackson, through this
programme, brought much needed change to the country.
Today, Shake-up
is no more. An astute politician effectively settled Shake-
up and silenced Glen Jackson by
offering him a lucrative position in the government. Only
Kingsley Defreitas and Freddy Gonsalves listen to the
programme. Glen is now left to bark like a well fed yet
irritating toothless mongrel all day. Yap, yap, yap, yap,
yap, yap… As they say Shake-up is gone
to the dogs. Poor Glen!
New Times
and EG were meant to be the NDP’s response to
Shake-up and Glen. However, it now appears as if that
plan backfired. The show is now named Missa Lynch
Missa Lynch. As the calypsonian says everywhere I
go I am hearing EG. However, EG has used this programme
to peddle half-truths, smear people’s character,
divide the country and pump up his own ego. The programme
is popular because Vincentians love strife. They love
commess and that is what EG offers. The NDP expects Lynch
to rally their base and attract supporters. He does
otherwise.
Night Time Call-in
Programmes
There are three
programmes that fall into this category. First there is A
Current Affair aired on NICE Radio on
Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays commencing at 8:00 pm. Mr
Frank Da Silva hosts this programme. At first, A Current
Affair was a welcomed addition to the menu of nighttime
call in programmes. However, since Mr Da Silva has been
the regular host, the programme has deteriorated into the
worst two-hour period on radio anywhere in the region.
Frank Da Silva is just horrible. He does not know how to
debate without becoming abusive. Anyone who disagrees
with him is an idiot. I do not know why the station puts
up with him.
The other programme of
note is Feedback. This is aired on WE FM on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Mr Brenton Milligan
hosts the Tuesday night version; Mr Junior Bacchus the
Wednesday night edition while Thursday’s is devoted
to the ULP. Brenton Milligan is an extremely poor host.
He is boring, politically biased towards the ULP and his
use of the English language is atrocious. Junior is not
much better than Brenton. I also find Junior’s wide
knowledge on so many topics a bit irritating especially
when he is hell bent on "sharing" with his
listeners. Meanwhile, the less said about the ULP
Feedback the better. That is a big joke,
especially when hosted by Lyndon George or Louis Straker.
The nighttime call-in
programmes such as A Current Affair and Feedback
could be useful at times. However, the hosts and
not the issues have become the focus of attention. They
are openly biased, dishonest and too opinionated.
I must commend Michael
Johnson and Joel Abraham for Keeping it Real
on Thursday nights on NICE Radio. There is some thing
that the other hosts can learn from these youngsters. It
is probably the only nighttime programme truly dedicated
to enlightening its listeners.
Sports Call-in
Programmes
There are two regular
sports call-in programmes on radio. They include Let’s
Talk Sports that is aired on Saturday evenings on
NBC Radio and hosted by persons such as Gunny Hinds,
Glenford Prescott and Lennox John. The other is Sports
Highlights aired on NICE radio on Sundays and
Wednesdays in the evening. Keith Joseph, Michael Johnson
and Justin Douglas generally host this. I have nothing
bad to say about these sports programmes. I generally
find them to be quite informative and very entertaining.
All the hosts appear quite knowledgeable and passionate
about sports. Listening to these programmes could be
quite fulfilling.
Saturday Morning
Radio Discussion
There is only one
Saturday morning discussion on radio that I know of. That
is A Letter From the Ground- this
programme. Since I am intimately involved in this effort,
I would prefer to hear the critique of the listeners.
However. I still wish to make a few comments. First, the
programme seems to attract the same set of callers all
the time. It is therefore becoming a turn off. While Dr
Fraser does a reasonably good job at analysis and
responding to the callers, I find Randy’s lengthy
interjections quite overbearing. Randy also recently went
overboard when urged listeners not to pay their VINLEC
bills. That was a tad irresponsible for a veteran
radioman. The owner of the radio station must take more
of a backseat in the discussion. He could be quite
overwhelming at times. He should just allow the listeners
to have their say. Finally, there is a mistaken notion
that this is an NDP programme. It is NOT. NDP
people must be careful not to embrace A Letter
from the Ground as part of their propaganda
machine. Trust me. It will not help their cause
Conclusion
I cannot conclude at
this time since I plan to make an assessment of the
regular callers to the call-programmes in the third
letter of this trilogy. So Dave, Kingley, Sappy,Laverne,
Mr Chigger Ridge, Alvin Rodney, Manulaus Joslyn, Stanley
Quammie and all the other members of the Coalition
of Constant Callers to Call-in programmes,
lookout. In the mean time let me know if the government
should place more restrictions on these programmes in the
interest of saving this country from destruction.
Sincerely.
Candy Edwards
May 14, 2005
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