Broadcasting Authority operates independently
SOURCE: GUYANA CHRONICLE (DECEMBER 21, 2019)
— chairman deems claims made by Opposition Leader false
GUYANA National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Chairman, Leslie Sobers, says policies and decisions of the agencies are not influenced by government ministers.
The chairman was at the time responding to claims which were recently made by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. At a press conference at GNBA’s headquarters, Lamaha Street, Georgetown, Sobers dismissed the claims by Jagdeo that the GNBA is serving partisan interest. He said he believes Jagdeo’s statement is as a result of warnings that were recently issued to all broadcasters about divisive election rhetoric in the run-up to the March elections. The PPP owns one of the radio stations, Freedom Radio and Jagdeo believes the GNBA’s warning may have been directed to that station that features partisan political programmes daily.
In rebutting Jagdeo’s statement that the Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, gave him instructions as it relates to broadcasting, the GNBA chairman said this is not true. According to Sobers, he was never given a directive by any minister of government, including the subject minister, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo. “I have been associated with Mr. Harmon as a lawyer, we shared space, I would not hesitate to say it, when I was a student I studied under Mr. Harmon. He was my supervisor when I was doing my pupilage and at the end of that, there was a room which he offered me and I utilised it and since then we remain in association legally until together we formed the law firm with other lawyers,” he said. He continued: “As a matter of fact, since Mr. Harmon became a minister and now director-general, I have only seen him about twice coming into that building and this is no exaggeration, I am telling the truth.”
He reiterated that no government minister has ever given him a directive on how to operate the GNBA.
“I can say without fear of contradiction or without any mental reservation that the prime minister as the subject minister has never directed me how to operate, or how the board of GNBA should operate when we are dealing with stakeholders,” Sobers said. He explained that the leader is the opposition is free to express himself but within certain parameters. Sobers noted that his major concern is the content shared on the radio.
“The freedom of expression which is guaranteed by our Constitution, Article 146 has parameters and you can’t say anything that will interfere or tarnish persons or institutions’ reputations.” He said the GNBA can only operate within the confines of the law and can also administer its duty and authority if necessary. “I am cognisant of the fact that Freedom Radio has demonstrated a certain degree of effrontery. It is public knowledge that an action was filed in the court with certain claims and challenges against GNBA by Freedom Radio and by MTV. The GNBA has restrained itself from making comments about those proceedings which are sub judice,” Sobers said. However, he said Freedom Radio has decided to approach the court asking for certain declaration but continue in the same vein while making similar utterances, disrespecting everything that is good and proper, although the case has not been concluded. Noting that the leader of the opposition spoke about the suspension of licences, Sobers said the GNBA is not interested in suspending anyone’s licence because of political commentary. He noted that the GNBA has many legal representatives on its board and committees that can zone in on any breaches committed during broadcast.
NOT TRUE
Sobers noted that Jagdeo is insinuating that the broadcasting authority will aim to take stations off the airways that are sympathetic to a particular political party, but this is fallacious. “I have not heard such fallacy in a long time, so I want to make it very clear to this nation that the GNBA has no such interest. What we do have interest in, is the people of Guyana being entitled to and enjoying quality broadcasting, quality radio, quality television, quality cable,” the chairman said. He said letters were sent to Freedom Radio advising the station to tone down the unfounded and false statements being made and monitor the call-in programmes to guide callers that are off track. “Every broadcaster must have in place a delay system when having call-in programmes. We can insist that you have the delay system or don’t have a call-in programme, and a lot of broadcasters don’t have the delay system in this modern age,” he noted. Adding that the leader of the opposition spoke about partisan interest, Sobers said he is doing his job without fear, favour or ill will. Sobers said since 2017, the board has issued more licences than in the tenure of former president, Bharrat Jagdeo. “We have 20 or so radio broadcasters and an equal amount of television broadcasters and a fair amount, six to 10 cable broadcasters and that is how we opened up the industry,” the GNBA chairman said.
He said that Freedom Radio and MTV are expected by virtue of their licences to broadcast within the entire zone for which they are given a licence and if such cannot be achieved, then the stations are not catering for the communication and information needs outside of the operating area. He noted that Freedom Radio is only serving the interest of the PPP and its membership which is a very narrow vision of broadcasting since they are supposed to be serving the interest of the entire nation. “They are serving the interest of their membership. Freedom Radio does not cover the entire zone and I know because I travel and tune in,” he said. Additionally, he said Mark Benschop, who also owns a radio station, has said things that are unsavory about the leader of the opposition and letters were sent to him and he is invited to a hearing before an investigative committee. “So Mr. Benschop, just like Mr. Jagdeo, accused us of all kind of things. You are dammed if you do and you’re dammed if you don’t,” he said.
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