ONE OF Jamaica's leading music video directors, Gerald 'Ras Kassa' Hynes, believes the Broadcasting Commission's clampdown on explicit content should target the airing of other risqué productions such as carnival parades, not only dancehall.

Kassa, who has worked on music videos for Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley and Italian singer Alberosie, says the Broadcasting Commission is likely to get support from the dancehall community once it "goes straight across the board" with its directives.

"They should insist carnival is not shown live on TV because it's not only Grandma putting up her leg, but it's the children in Kiddies Carnival too," he pointed out.

The local version of carnival is a largely middle-class affair that takes place in April when Jamaicans observe Easter, a Christian holiday.

Daggerin' backlash

The commission, which monitors standards for electronic media, announced Friday that it had examined the genre of music classified as daggerin' songs', which it considers "explicitly sexual and violent".

These songs, it noted, promoted hardcore sex and went against the provisions of the commission's Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulations.

A statement from the commission, published in The Sunday Gleaner, said radio, television and cable companies should not air songs or videos containing daggerin' lyrics or scenes.

Kassa says he believes tougher rules will force stakeholders in the music industry to be more creative.

"I feel like we (music video and record producers) are going too far with some of the stuff we are doing, so I have no problem with it (the ban)," Kassa told The Gleaner.

The Broadcasting Commission's stance came in the midst of heated debate over whether Rampin' Shop, a song reeking of sexual material, by deejays Vybz Kartel and Spice should be played on radio and TV.

In her February 1 column in The Sunday Gleaner, Esther Tyson said the song impacts negatively on youth and called for a shutdown of corporate support for dancehall artistes and events until the genre cleans up its act.