Media commission sues Ro’ya channel over ‘sexually explicit’ show

AMMAN — The Jordan Media Commission (JMC) on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Ro’ya satellite channel for broadcasting a show that it said was sexually explicit and inappropriate, but the channel said the show was not meant for children as circulated on social media.

In one of its comic TV shows, a narrator appears in the show starting with “Dear children” and then she tells a story of a carpenter who went to fix the closet of a woman who sells milk. 

As the carpenter enters the bedroom, the narrator says, he pushes the woman who was standing near the closet to the bed and starts ripping off her clothes.

The narrator then proceeds to tell other stories similar in nature.

“This is sexually explicit and is totally inappropriate and unacceptable. Using this dirty language and explicitly is in violation of norms and laws,” JMC Director General Amjad Qadi told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

“By showing this inappropriate content, Ro’ya violated the commission’s law and the articles in its contract with the JMC. We are a conservative society in Jordan and this is unacceptable,” said Qadi.

The commission ordered the suspension of the programme and referred the case to the prosecutor general.

The channel said the comic show was meant to criticise content by several Arab media outlets designed for children, according to a statement it issued Tuesday.

“It is unfortunate to witness campaigns insisting that the show was for children when it targets adults…The channel is keen on carefully selecting its programmes for children to raise good generations. It selects programme that are based on global narratives that respect childhood and help build their values,” said Ro’ya.

Nidal Mansour, president of the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists, told The Jordan Times that the channel has made it clear that the show was not for children.

“Any media outlet is likely to make mistakes, but this incident should not be taken out of context and should not be used for settling scores,” he said.

“Viewers watch many other comic satellite channels and the content is mostly pornographic and they never complain…We have repeatedly complained about vague and loose terms in laws regarding what defines what ethical and is unethical as well,” Mansour added.

On Facebook, social media users launched a campaign called the “one-million man campaign to shut down the immoral Ro’ya channel”, where users criticised the channel for broadcasting such a show. 

“This is a totally unacceptable behaviour. The show is trying to manipulate children’s minds,” Haloom Ahmad charged on the campaign’s Facebook page.

Rula F. Nassraween disagreed.

“If some are unhappy with the comic show, claiming it negatively affects children, they should be careful about what children watch on other satellite channels…I do not justify the comic show, but I urge all not to slam this channel,” she wrote. 

Also on Tuesday, 50 MPs signed a memorandum in which they called on the government to take strict measures against Roya satellite channel for broadcasting “immoral programmes”.