Dirty talk on radio should have no place on the breakfast menu

When people periodically complain about the extraordinary amount of X-rated nonsense which issues from the mouths of radio presenters on Kenyan radio every morning, the defenders of these stations leap to their defence with a number of arguments.

If you don’t like it switch channels, they suggest. That line is obviously a non-starter because at least eight out of 10 Nairobians take their children to school in the morning by public transport and have no control over what radio station blares out of the speakers.

This bedroom talk is popular, they counter.

That may be true but one hardly needs to make the point that what the masses may find interesting is not always in the public interest.

Otherwise, TV stations worried about ratings would simply show pornography and rake in the millions.

Those who argue that regulation may amount to censorship make a fair point.

People have the choice to listen to what they please.

But the solution the Media Council of Kenya should adopt in dealing with this issue is fairly simple and has worked in many countries.

Simply stop the stations from airing this stuff in the morning and require them to discuss these topics after, say, 10 or 11 pm.

There are few places on earth, even in the most liberal and nominally free societies, where one is allowed to broadcast explicit content at breakfast time.

That breaches the most basic norms of decency. Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, for example, has a straightforward rule: All adult content must only be aired after 9 pm and, even then, it should not come immediately after that time but should be broadcast progressively later.

If there are parents who will let their children hear about the day a promiscuous man was ousted from the house by the wife and forced to sleep in the watchman’s cubicle, then that will be their choice.

Such a story, however, should not be rammed down the throats of normal, unsuspecting wananchi in the morning.

The UK regulator’s rulebook states that “material that might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of people under 18 must not be broadcast.”

Although the 9 pm rule applies mainly to television, the regulator’s manual demands that “radio broadcasters must have particular regard to times when children are particularly likely to be listening.

This phrase particularly refers to the school run and breakfast time, but might include other times.”

It does no credit to the Media Council in Kenya that they have never taken steps to come up with a position on how operators should handle this issue despite a tide of complaints over the years.

Kenya’s media are in many ways unique.

They are the most developed on the continent outside South Africa partly because Kenya and Cote d’Ivoire are the only countries which allowed private media some space in which to operate after independence.

For that reason, the media are extremely influential and play a big role in shaping society.

Although there are many legitimate criticisms of the industry and they can do better in many respects, Kenya is one of the few places in the world where the media consistently ranks in polls as the most trusted institution (a fact which maybe says more about the state of other institutions in the country such as the police and the political class).

This trust should not be squandered or manipulated to allow the media to get away with things that are obviously wrong.

This is not a moralist argument. Every person should have the liberty to enjoy what they please. But there should be reasonable limits. Because state regulation is out of the question – as the media logically play a role that the state does not find comfortable of checking on its actions – the Media Council has an obligation to act.

The FM station DJs may think that the most interesting thing they could possibly discuss are the mischievous exploits of the house-girl with the man of the house.

So be it, but let them hold their horses until, say, 11 pm when the fans of this sort of stuff can tune in.

They must, however, spare the children on their morning commute to school.

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