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Transparancy, equity needed in distribution of broadcast license – CBU President

Transparency and equity are needed in the distribution of broadcast license. So says President of the Caribbean Broadcast Union (CBU) Shida Bolai.

Bolai spoke to BIZNOW at the CBU’s 44th Annual General Assembly on Monday at Guyana International Conference Centre. The conference focused on ‘The Business of Broadcasting in the Digital Age’.

The opening programme featured remarks and perspectives by Patrick Cozier, Secretary General CBU, and Prem Misir, Chairman, National Communications Network (NCN). Bolai presented the ‘CBU President’s Report’ and President of Guyana Donald Ramotar delivered the keynote address.

Many first world countries are decades ahead in digital broadcasting with the Caribbean lagging behind. Some of the challenges regionally include the ability to reach agreeable benchmarks since countries the region use different standards. There was a general consensus that there needs to be integration at the broadcasting level for this to occur.

The first morning of the two-day conference looked at the leading global digital terrestrial television standards ATSC and DVB-T2. It also dealt with what it takes to transition from analog to digital with issues ranging from financing to key stakeholders.

The conference comes at a time when media proprietors in Guyana have protested the manner in which radio broadcast license were issued. Media owners have said that the issuing of such licenses seem to have favoured a select few.

Commenting on the issuance of broadcast license, Bolai told BIZNOW, “The whole thing about issuing broadcasting license; people have to have access to the media. Once there is the capital to exploit that. Whatever the process is it has to be transparent and there must be equity.”

Other issues on the agenda will range from “Broadcasting Innovations & Business Opportunities” to design workshops on matters like ‘Building Resilient Communities and Engaged Audience’.

The conference attracted delegates from across the region and presenters from the USA and as far as Russia.

Source: Newsnow