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| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Consumer
Ombudsman Column by National Consumer Watch
Advertising on television Consumer Watch does not need to emphasize the impact and importance of advertising on Television. Being a visual, the impression created on the mind of the viewer, particularly the young is long lasting both for good and bad-more so when the impression is bad. Greater then is the responsibility both on the Advertiser and also those in charge of this electronic medium to be circumspect in advertising various products on the T.V. This columnist read with great interest the views of the Head of a State Television Station given at an interview with a news reporter and published in a Sinhala newspaper on Sunday June 5. Being a person who had been involved with the T.V. for over forty years, who is now the head of the State sponsored T.V. stations, who had had considerable exposure to the trends and conditions prevailing abroad as well, and who has had the benefit of the exchange of views with others in this field at a recent conference abroad, it is useful to reflect on his views as they have a direct bearing on the 'consumer' which is the focus of attention of Consumer Watch. We will take the liberty of summarising some relevant facts and his views as they appeared in that article, as these views do not appear to have found a place in the English medium newspapers. Television broadcasting commenced in Sri Lanka on June 5, 1979 and the Independent T.V. channel is now twenty-six-years old. The interviewee himself has over forty years experience in the field. He categorises TV broadcasting into (1) state owned TV (2) Social service oriented T.V. and (3) Privately owned T.V. While two of your T.V. stations are State owned the balance eight are considered private. There are according to the interviewee no T.V. stations in Sri Lanka in the second category. In regard to cost he is of the view that it costs about Rs. One thousand million to open a T.V. station in Sri Lanka - quite a substantial sum of money by any standard and which is beyond the capacity of most individuals, unless the investor is a privately owned company. It may be of interest to note that according to the interviewee, the BBC and NHK are two T.V. stations that fall into the second category, while there is not a single T.V. station in Sri Lanka which falls into the category of socially oriented T.V. Further, the BBC and NHK are not State controlled, even though owned by the State, but are managed by an independent Board of Management quite in contrast to what prevails here (according to the interviewee). It is worthwhile to reflect on this aspect. The T.V. undoubtedly is a powerful medium of communication. Not only does it bring the news from all over the world into your home within a few hours of the happening of an event, but being visual, it has an immediate and powerful impact on the viewers mind. News for example is accompanied by a commentary of a newsman at the spot. This enhances the value and credibility of the information. It is equally significant that the above T.V. Stations - i.e. BBC and NHK-though owned by the State are not answerable to the State, meaning, the government or political party in power at a particular point of time, but are answerable to the people and to Parliament. One can imagine the howls and protests that will be raised in the UK if a Minister of the day is known to have given directions to a TV station to black out a particular news item because it was unfavourable to the government, or wanted a twist given to the news to enhance its image for political purposes. Readers will recollect the recent events where a high politician in the UK had to resign because he did nothing more than pushing the visa application of a baby whose mother was well known to the politician. It is equally important form the customers'/public point of view to ascertain how institutions like the BBC can preserve and maintain its reputation of "independence" from political and other pressures. The "black" letter of the law can make institutions independent. But can robust independence survive in the wilting ambience of political interference? Is it just a matter of "culture" where an official appointed to a Board considers himself "answerable" to the appointing authority who is invariably a Minister, and therefore soon acts as the "alter ego" of the political authority. At the dawn of independence the PSC was so constituted that it safeguarded the independence of the Public Service. How independent is that service today? A substantial point made at the above interview is that the cost of obtaining a TV channel being as much as Rs. One thousand million, the private T.V. Stations are driven by a profit motive in order to survive. The imperatives of the market place are such that no organisation can survive, if it is privately owned and not State owned, unless it is financially viable. This is understandable. The question is however, should one therefore go to the other extreme of sacrificing everything for profit? Below is the observations of the interviewee of 40 years experience on the role of the private TV (We take the liberty of translating this section into English from the Sinhala article) "Some private TV stations started as a commercial venture. Their one aim was profit. As everyone knows it costs about One thousand million rupees to start a TV Station. On such an investment can one obtain a profit in this country. There is no room for two or three profitable projects. The private TV stations are now embroiled in a big contest. They resort to diverse methods to find resources. They do not look for standards or quality. All TV channels today are seriously harming the mind of the child. Commercialization is at the lowest ebb. It is a serious crime to harm the mind of a child. A doctor who is a specialist had opined that children today are suffering from diabetes because of TV advertisements. It will not be possible to avoid a bleak future if the State does not intervene". The remedy suggested by him is the establishment of an Independent Board. This idea requires closer examination. What is important form the point of view of Consumer Watch is that the standard of advertising on TV has to be improved in view of the serious strictures passed by an experienced commentator that TV, particularly private TV institutions, are profit oriented to the detriment of the "consumer" and particularly the younger generation. We shall revert to some of these matters in future comments. Meanwhile do write in. We are at 143A, Vajira Road, Colombo 5. |
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