What is よ doing as a connector before a comma?


I saw this as a comment someone posted on Google+ in response to NHK
announcing a show:

> 本気{ほんき}なら地上波{ちじょうは}でやれ **よ** 、受信料{じゅしんりょう}返{かえ}せ

I think it's saying "If this is really what you intend to broadcast, give me
back my broadcast fees!"

I'm not confident in that, though, because of that `よ` that comes just before
the comma. My translation is more because I can't think of anything else that
makes sense.

So far as I know, `よ` is just a for emphasis. As such, I don't know if I've
ever really noticed it being used in the middle of a sentence before. If it
just emphasis, then we should be able to take it out, like this:

> 本気なら地上波でやれ、受信料返せ

Which to me looks incomplete. If I wanted to say in Japanese the same
sentiment, I would use `ば`, like so:

> 本気なら地上波でやれ **ば** 、受信料返せ

Is `よ` in the original sentence serving the same purpose as my `ば`, or is
there something completely different going on?

What exactly is the best translation of the sentence, assuming mine is off?




I'd agree with SomethingJapanese and his/her translation, with one small edit,
("If you're serious (about that/whatever), then broadcast it **over regular
terrestrial broadcast** ; give me back my fees.") in the comments above.

They are two different clauses. You can imagine an English sentence that takes
advantage of a comma splice to create the same effect: "If you're a real
candidate, drop the birther issue, focus on the real issues."

And I think Japanese is a lot more tolerant of comma misuse. Also, this is
from an Internet comment, which is far more casual than other writing.




I'd agree with SomethingJapanese and his/her translation, with one small edit,
("If you're serious (about that/whatever), then broadcast it **over regular
terrestrial broadcast** ; give me back my fees.") in the comments above.

They are two different clauses. You can imagine an English sentence that takes
advantage of a comma splice to create the same effect: "If you're a real
candidate, drop the birther issue, focus on the real issues."

And I think Japanese is a lot more tolerant of comma misuse. Also, this is
from an Internet comment, which is far more casual than other writing.

