THE tenure of the current board of the Broadcasting Commission will come to an end on October 31.

Board Chairman Professor Hopeton Dunn, who is serving his second consecutive term, in a statement to licensees and partners Tuesday, said that the tenure has been both instructive and productive.

Dunn said the board has led a process of substantial reform in a range of areas, including the rigorous enforcement of content standards and on-air broadcast quality.

“We have introduced key reforms in the cable sector, moving from the days of an early and small group of unregulated operators to today’s large and more orderly sub-sector. We have also expanded the broadcast sub-sector and created a modern and more diverse and competitive electronic media environment in Jamaica,” Dunn said.

He added that the commission formulated and recommended several new policy initiatives which await approval and implementation. These, he said, included key proposals on digital switch-over, reform of the sanctions regime, re- definition of the term broadcasting, as well as additional measures for protection of children and other vulnerable groups.

“We have devised a proposal to promote more funded independent programme production in Jamaica and plans for new legislative and technological reforms of the sector. Among these reforms are proposals for regulatory convergence through the implementation of a true single regulator for the industry,” Dunn said.

He said that the commission has also established a public campaign to promote education and media literacy.

This, he noted, has been through a vibrant series of media advertisements, school visits, public speeches, conferences and online output, working in association with broadcasters, cable operators, teachers, citizen media monitors and service providers.

“Internally, we have transformed the financial standing and operational stability of the commission and have established an unblemished record for statutory payments and timely submission of annual reports to government.

“We have been able to achieve these and many other outcomes through the active co-operation and support of our licensees, portfolio ministers, members of the public and successive governments.”