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Marrakech – The High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) has dismissed over 190 complaints regarding the broadcast of Moroccan rapper ElGrandeToto’s concert on 2M television channel.
Announced on Wednesday, the decision follows deliberations by the Supreme Council for Audiovisual Communication during its meeting on July 17.
The complaints, received between July 2 and 7, claimed that the concert contained expressions and scenes that violated public morals and could negatively influence young viewers.
Despite dismissing these complaints, HACA determined that 2M “did not ensure an appropriate broadcast context,” particularly regarding insufficient use of content warnings, even though the concert aired after 11:05 p.m.
In its decision, HACA stated that its institutional role is to ensure audiovisual media content, especially from public service broadcasters, complies with relevant laws and respects democratic values and fundamental rights of all audience categories.
“In Morocco’s independent regulatory model based on freedom of expression, the regulatory authority does not have the mission to censor artistic creation and expression, nor does it interfere in the editorial choices of broadcasters regarding the content they broadcast,” the decision explained.
HACA clearly established that evaluating the quality of artistic works, particularly musical ones, and authorizing their broadcast in public space are not within its jurisdiction.
Instead, the authority declared that public audiovisual media services have a duty of inclusion and interaction with all audience categories, including consideration of cultural practices and forms of expression specific to younger generations.
The regulatory body pointed out that for certain content, including musical and dramatic works, public service broadcasters should ensure an appropriate broadcast context through the use of content ratings and consideration of the target audience.
According to the decision, based on the principle of proportionality in media regulation, “imposing censorship on an artist or stigmatizing their audience is not acceptable.”
Instead, audiovisual providers should strengthen measures specified in their terms of reference to balance freedom of expression, cultural diversity, and audience protection.
A Moroccan rapper with global reach
ElGrandeToto, whose real name is Taha Hafsi, performed at the closing concert of the 20th edition of the Mawazine Festival – World Rhythms. His performance captivated an estimated audience of 400,000 people, mostly young fans.
Now in his thirties, the rapper has achieved remarkable success both in his home country and internationally. He has performed at venues like the Olympia and Zenith in Paris, and earned platinum and diamond records for musical collaborations in France.
ElGrandeToto boasts over 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, reflecting his widespread popularity.
HACA’s decision has sparked mixed reactions. Hassan Hamourou, one of the complainants and a member of the national council of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), condemned the dismissal of the complaints, claiming it “encourages 2M to continue broadcasting content that threatens values shared by Moroccans through a media funded by public money.”
He further argued that HACA “covers the excesses of the channel and its manifest non-compliance with the specifications,” and should have imposed sanctions rather than “theorizing about freedom of expression and art.”
Media outlets have characterized this ruling as a courageous decision that may establish a precedent for balancing artistic freedom with public service broadcasting responsibilities in Morocco’s media landscape.
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