Launch of Citizen Monitoring Pilot Programme
PRESS STATEMENT – CHAIRMAN OF THE GNBA BOARD
November 27, 2019
Guyana National Broadcasting Authority is pleased to announce that today November 27, 2019 marks the commencement of its Citizen Monitoring Programme. At our first stakeholder engagement for this year 2019, we had indicated that this citizen monitoring programme forms part of the Authority’s Strategic Plan designed to give effect to its Mission and Vision. The vision of the GNBA is to be “best in class” and secure its position as a viable, well organized, well run stake holder-inclusive regulatory body in Guyana and the Caribbean.
With this as our overarching aim our mission is:
To regulate, monitor, protect, improve and maintain the highest standards of broadcasting in Guyana. In this regard the Board of Directors and Management of GNBA held a retreat, planned and honed the Authority’s Strategic Plan. This Citizen Monitoring Programme is by no means the first aspect of the Strategic plan to be operationalized. Previously we had drafted and publicized the Broadcasting Guidelines, in an attempt to clarify and simplify, for our Broadcasters, the legal framework within which they operate; the Broadcast Policy of Guyana and their obligations as Licencees. The standard against Broadcasters is held as set out in the Broadcasting Act of 2011 and its Amendments of 2017.
As you are aware Regular Stakeholder Engagements, a promise to which we lived up, were held with regularity; these engagements also formed part of that Strategic Plan.From today and by virtue this Citizen Monitoring facility the citizens of Guyana will be able, in keeping with the Broadcasting Act, to draw to the attention of the Authority the shortcomings and infractions committed by our Broadcasters and also to indicate whether in the various broadcast operational zones, citizens are receiving unhindered access to information.Persons desiring to become a voluntary Citizen Broadcast Monitor can access the Citizen Monitoring Registration Form and the Complaints Form on the GNBA website. The Authority’s Complaints Procedure can also be accessed on the GNBA Website.
This Citizen Monitoring initiative will be reviewed in June 2020. There is still a lot to be done and a lot to be highlighted, but I defer that discourse for our 2019 concluding Broadcaster Engagement next month.
COLLABORATION WITH GECOM AND ERC JOINT MMU
The Authority is also pleased to announce that we have entered into discussions with Guyana Elections Commission and the Ethnic Relations Commission for a joint approach to Media Monitoring of the Airwaves and Cable in the ensuing months. I take this opportunity to point out to Broadcasters that though they may be sympathetic to the policies, plans and projections of a particular political party, their obligation to the Guyanese People is a professional non-partisan approach to information dissemination, as contemplated by the Broadcasting Act. The Broadcasting Act established that Broadcasting in Guyana must follow the tenets of pluralism and that political and other controversial issues be treated in accordance with fairness and balance. That is our Country’s inherent fairness doctrine which instructs how such issues must be presented to our citizens. In fact, Section 32. Paragraph (j) of the Broadcasting Act of 2011 stipulates that: In the granting of licences and in the setting of conditions, the Authority shall ensure that
“Programmes dealing with controversial public policy or matters of political or industrial controversy must meet standards of fairness and balance, accuracy, maintaining a proper balance and respect for truth and integrity and always ensuring that opposing views are not misrepresented;”
In this regard the Authority will be paying keen attention to what pertains on the airwaves in the run up to National and Regional Elections and this attention forms the basis for our proposed joint monitoring operations with the Media Monitoring Units of GECOM and The ERC.
BROADCASTER RECOGNITION 2020
The Standard of performance against which Programming and Broadcasting will be assessed is already set out in the Broadcasting Act; we will hold our Broadcast Licencees to that standard and will bear record of their performance.
The Authority plans to roll out another aspect of its Strategic Plan in 2020, that is,the Broadcasting Recognition Scheme. To give effect to this Scheme we will be:
- continuing audience surveys and publicise the findings so that sponsors may have a scientific basis for ascertaining listenership and viewership.
- assessing the level of local content aired and produced
- assessing the level and frequency of in-house and other training initiatives pursued by Broadcasters for staff and service improvement and Broadcasters general compliance with their obligations under the Broadcasting Act of 2011 and as amended in 2017
What this scheme will hold for deserving “star” Broadcasters will be disclosed in due course suffice it to say it will be a gala affair and beneficial to the recipients.
At our December engagement we will be disclosing other 2020 benefits to Broadcasters.
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