Latest update December 31st, 2024 3:30 AM
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Govt. reneged on Linden’s TV agreement – Vieira
Four months after signing a deal with Lindeners for an independent television station, Government has reportedly reneged on its promise.
Anthony Vieira
According to former Parliamentarian of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Anthony Vieira, over a week ago, Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon, received a letter from the National Broadcasting Authority signed by Chairperson, Bibi Shadick, instructing him to apply for permission to broadcast in Linden.
“This is completely contrary to the agreement the government and the Lindeners signed on August 21st (2012), and is therefore a political matter way above the head of Shadick. The PPP has once again repudiated one more aspect of the Linden/Government of Guyana agreement of 21st August 2012,” Vieira said in a letter published in Kaieteur News yesterday.
The television station was part of the deal hammered out for Lindeners who were protesting plans by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) to raise tariffs. Three protestors were shot dead in the month-long protest which essentially shut the mining town down and crippled hinterland activities.
According to Vieira, the failure by government to honour the commitments made must be seen in the light of the agreement signed. He noted that the July 18th protest at the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge during which 30 people were shot – three of whom died – had been met with local and international outcry. Three days later an agreement was signed in which government committed to hand over a dish and transmitter that were given to the Linden community to the Region 10’s Regional Democratic Council. Both were to have been transferred within 14 days of the signing of the agreement.
Chairperson, National Broadcast Authority, Bibi Shadick
It was also agreed that the region will apply for a broadcasting licence and the Government will facilitate its granting.
“The expected transfer was never made and the Lindeners were instead instructed to apply to the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) for the licence to operate, but the understanding was that 14 days after the signing of the agreement the dish and the Channel 13 transmitter would be given to the Linden community and that thereafter they would apply for a licence.”
Lindeners also applied to the NFMU along with their broadcast plan and the technical specifications of the installation, all of which were submitted by the end of August 2012.
“They never heard from the NFMU again. The promised transmitter and the dish had still not been handed over to the Lindeners as of December 17th when the agreement required that it should have been handed over 14 days after August 21st 2012…”
Vieira insisted that this was a gross deception on the Opposition negotiators since 10 licences for radio were granted by the administration of former President, Bharrat Jagdeo in 2011, without the necessity of applying to the NFMU or the Broadcast Authority.
“In addition, the Learning Channel was put on the air in 2011 without application to any agency to do so. Therefore during the talks leading to the August 21st agreement, the Opposition was coerced to accept a completely unacceptable Broadcast Authority since (Presidential Advisors) Gail Teixeira and (Odinga) Lumumba told them that the Linden station could not be licensed any other way.”
The former Parliamentarian, who has been involved in television for years before selling his operations to Queens Atlantic, said that by agreeing to facilitate the Lindeners, the Opposition was deceived into accepting an unconstitutional Broadcast Authority which can never be impartial, independent or autonomous, and which would have never surfaced if the Linden issue did not arise.
“The Opposition therefore now has a responsibility to undo this situation and I am happy to see that they have placed the Broadcast Authority Act high on their Parliamentary agenda when Parliament reconvenes. This unconstitutional, biased Broadcast Authority must be repealed immediately.”
Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon
The Linden incident had spurred the establishment of a high profile Commission of Inquiry, comprising local and regional legal minds, which has wrapped up hearings and is set to present its report on the Linden protests early next year.
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