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Radio licence giveaway…Ramotar claims that Jagdeo was fulfilling commitment
President Donald Ramotar yesterday defended the granting of broadcast licences by his predecessor, Bharrat Jagdeo.
Mr. Ramotar said that the process was not irregular or unfair. He added that Mr. Jagdeo was simply fulfilling a commitment he had made early in his second term of office. 
The very month he left office, Jagdeo gave five radio frequencies each to his best friend Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop; The Mirror newspaper, which is owned by the ruling PPP; and Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting, which is linked to Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud.
Mr. Ramotar said that early in his second term of office, which began in 2006, Jagdeo had promised to end the state control of radio and liberalise the sector.
“So I suspect he was fulfilling a commitment that was made very early in his second term. From that point of view I don’t see anything irregular with it,” Ramotar said at a press conference at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown Complex.
The President said that in the case of Ramroop, the Mirror and Telcor, one licence but five frequencies each were given to them to facilitate the reach of those stations.
Broadcast experts have said that five frequencies are not needed to relay programming, but that other facilities could be used instead of clogging up the airwaves and limiting the availability of frequencies that could be awarded to others.
However, President Ramotar would not be dragged into a discussion about the technical aspects of broadcasting.
“You’re asking me a technical issue,” the President responded. However, he ventured to offer an explanation that if the additional frequencies were not awarded, those licencees who wanted a wider reach would have had to set up “high towers all over the place.”
The President said that that would not have been the best thing, and as such it “probably is much safer to have the frequencies” instead of those towers.
Jagdeo also granted cable licences on the 2.5 GHz Band to his close associates, Brian Yong and Vishok Persaud of E-Networks.
In fact, Persaud was granted the licence. Both Vishok Persaud and Brian Yong are known to be close to Jagdeo and Winston Brassington, the man who manages Government’s investments.
The service offered by the two men, such as 4G requires both the availability of licensed airwaves – also called spectrum – from the government, and considerable private investment in infrastructure.
In early December 2010, Persaud introduced his company’s WiMax 4G Network, opening up a wireless digital communication system to provide broadband wireless access, satellite services providing internet access and voice services to miners and companies in the interior and other services.
Persaud launched his service the very month that he was granted a licence. From all indications Persaud moved to set up his infrastructure knowing that he was assured of a licence from Jagdeo.
In normal circumstances, a person would await the granting of a licence before investing in infrastructure.
Mr. Ramotar said that he did not see anything irregular with the way Persaud was granted his licence.
“Once he has gone through the right procedures, I have no problem…that’s his business,” Ramotar said of Persaud.
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