Jamaica is a diverse country deemed as the “Iriest Country in the Caribbean”.
This Island gem located 600 miles South of Florida is filled with talented individuals in a number of areas from athletics to art and now Content Creation. Yes! There are Content Creators on the Island who have been able to make a name for themselves through the unique content they create and post on Social Media and have garnered both interest and following respectively.
Because of the success of these individuals, we have seen two (2) Social Media Experiment “Reality Shows”, premiering recently namely: The Social House Ja and 876Roommates.
These shows have received great and not-so great reviews since their release and have even caused somewhat of a divide on the Island, but one thing they have both revealed is that, there is a need for more localised content.
A Case for MORE Localised Content in Jamaica
As mentioned before, both shows has caused somewhat of a divide, as one is deemed as more Uptown (The Social House Ja) and the other is more Downtown or cater to the Mass (876Roommates). For those of you who are not Jamaican and know what the big deal is, Jamaica is a deeply classist and elitist society, where those who are from the upper classes are preferred and treated differently from the “rest” of society. There is always a social divide on the Island and there is always some sort of duality tug of war. But! Let’s get back to the topic at hand, as this is a discussion for another time.
The Premise of the Shows
Both shows see a number of “Influencers” (I use that term loosely) living in a house, where they compete through a series of challenges each week for prizes of up to a million dollars in the end. Just by watching, you can see that one show is more sponsored than the other and one show is better produced than the other. Both shows have premiered on YouTube and one show even airs on a local T.V at. specific time of night.
The Local Content Television Market
What we have realised is that, each day when we go on Twitter, both or one of these shows are trending which shows there is a need for more local content. People are constantly talking about their favourite and not so favourite contestants and of course creating memes of memorable quotes and facial expressions. Here in Jamaica, other than staple fixtures like the News or Informational Programs like J.I.S, there is a lack of locally produced content that is entertaining. Let’s be honest, most of these shows are boring, outdated or use less than smart people as hosts and panelists. It is not that people are not talented enough to produce or write content for these shows; there is a lack of support and sponsorship from Corporate Brands who could help pay for these shows. Our local networks would rather pay millions of dollars to own the rights for long outdated content like “Half & Half” which stopped airing in the early 2000’s or, Asian and African Drama series like Generations or others I don’t even know. Don’t get me wrong, Half & Half was a great show that aired on UPN then BET back when I was in High School as it was great for “the culture” in America, but it is not a locally produced show.
Jamaica is one of a few countries who have not evolved to meet the demands of people and the times they are living in and what people love to watch on T.V. If we are to look at a network like VH1 today compared to the early 2000s, they have researched their market and realised people like “urban” content and have made their content more black (let’s be real). VH1 now has some of the most-watched black content from their “Love and Hip Hop” franchise to “Basketball Wives” and even “T.I & Tiny: The Family Hustle”. If a predominately white network like VH1 can research their viewership and diversify their offering, why can’t Jamaica have more localised content? What are we waiting for to step into this century?
If you are a Jamaican who thinks we need more localised content, comment below!
Also let us know if you still watch local T.V or if there is a need for improvement in this space
#A Case for MORE Localised Content in Jamaica
#A Case for MORE Localised Content in Jamaica
#A Case for MORE Localised Content in Jamaica
#A Case for MORE Localised Content in Jamaica
#A Case for MORE Localised Content in Jamaica
