OWAYNE Thompson — organiser of Champion Bwoy Talent and Karaoke Talent Search Competition — believes the Broadcasting Commission’s ban on songs which glorify illegal guns, illicit drugs, and scamming is a step in the right direction.

He said due to the saturation of these deviant lyrics, some entrants in his contest think it’s acceptable to perform.

“Some of the music played in public space need to be addressed because it can send the wrong message, especially when our moral standard has been ripped apart. One just have to watch how ‘schoolers’ in their teens react to the songs which glorify sex and violence,” he said.

“I had to pull the plug on one contestant in my competition recently, as we do not condone the promoting of disrespectful lyrics, gun lyrics or anything out of order. I made it quite clear from the initial stage that the lyrics must be clean and positive,” he continued.

Last Tuesday, Jamaica’s electronic media regulatory body — the Broadcasting Commission — issued a directive to operators banning music which glorifies illegal guns, illicit drugs and scamming.

The commission says the directive reinforces its commitment to keeping airways free of harmful content given the important role traditional media still plays as agents of socialisation.

The use of the public airways broadcast songs that promote/glorify illegal activity could give the wrong impression that criminality is an accepted feature of Jamaican culture and society, the commission noted.

Thompson is recommending that record producers make the first move to fix the lyrics before the songs are released.

Thompson, born in Blackwoods, Clarendon, started singing R&B and dancehall music as a teenager. He later became a DJ on King Skylab, a sound system based in Clarendon.

He migrated to the Cayman Islands in 2005 returning home in 2014 to start Champion Bwoy Headquarters in Summerfield, Clarendon.

His Champion Bwoy Talent and Karaoke Talent Search Competition, with its elimination starting on October 2, 2022, will culminate with the grand finals November 6, 2022.

The winner will receive $250,000 in cash and prizes.