Gary Allen, Managing Director, RJR Group - file photo
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Gary Allen, Managing Director of the RJR Communications Group, wants more to be done to achieve full compliance with broadcasting regulations in the local cable television sector.
He contends that this is necessary in order for Jamaica to build and sustain intellectual property rights and innovation within the sector.
Mr Allen raised these issues on Monday evening, while addressing a Rotary Club meeting in St Andrew. His comments were also in the context of the Broadcasting Commission recently ordering cable operators to remove unlicensed channels, and with discussions now ongoing to regularise cable service.
He argued that the Jamaican Government had been tardy in addressing the matter, pointing out that the US Trade Representative had been raising it with regional states for two years, even while Jamaica was continuing to say that it planed to have it addressed through the regional body, CARICOM.
"We must all find a way to achieve full copyright compliance, because that's the only way we will respect the talents of others and... build an industry," he stressed.
The Broadcasting Commission had initially ordered the removal of 19 unlicensed channels from local cable operators' service schedules by May 31. They were later given an extension after making an appeal to the regulatory agency.
Cultural industry
Mr. Allen, in reference to the fact that consumers, now know that some of the content for which they have paying via their cable service providors, "is not legal," asked: "What does that continue to mean, as they continue to have a phased reduction of the things they are being sold... that don't belong to the seller?"
He said such questions must be answered in the context of Jamaica's own efforts to build a viable cultural industry.
He said such questions must be answered in the context of Jamaica's own efforts to build a viable cultural industry.
Highlighting the earning potential of Jamaica's music globally, he suggested that if a strategy to maximise that potential, to the benefit of the local economy, were pursued, "much progress would be made," quipping that the much talked about primary surplus "would be easier to achieve."
The cost to acheive that goal, he said, would be "nothing but a little bit more know how."
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