Any music or content that seems offensive to a group of population will be banned, says Chief Censor Steven Mala.
Since the ban on music by Wild Pack band, his office has banned three more songs on the airwaves.
A circular released on January 10 advised media houses and entertainment venues such as nightclubs and bars, of the ban on:
- Sigirapim Saksak by Muno Worixx & Clemz
- Private Nangu by Ragga Siai, Yung D & Ffive Sstar
- Meri Sunam by Jaro Local
These songs were banned due to slangs or phrases which were considered to be vulgar and distasteful, or have some form of sexual connotations and portray and utter disrespect towards the womenfolk and reasonable adult(s) in PNG.
Mala said banning a music from the airwaves is not a punishment to an individual artist. Rather, it is keeping in par with the Censorship Act, currently being used as a guideline.
But Mala also said at the moment, there are no specific guidelines for musicians to follow.
And while the Censorship Board puts together documents, he says the Censorship Act looks at content.
The guidelines to be worked on will look at lyrics and whether the language is appropriate or not.
To avoid complications, he appeals to musicians to submit their work to the board for screening and clearance before it goes on air.
“As long as we comply with requirements, I don’t see any problem,” says Mala.
(Chief Censor Steven Mala)