Radio/Cable licences scandal…Barefaced theft of limited national resources

Mar 23, 2013 News

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– Opposition MPs

On September 27, 2011, former President Bharrat Jagdeo signed the Broadcasting Act 2011 into law paving the way for the Broadcasting Authority to start the process for the issuance of new television and radio licences.
However, days before he was set to step down in November, ending his constitutional term in office, he gave permission to several entities, including ruling party members and close friends, to start operating radio stations.
Last week, under pressure from the Opposition, the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in shocking revelations, told the National Assembly that Jagdeo gave his best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop five radio channels; New Guyana Company Limited five and Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Inc another five.
Telcor’s contact person is Omkar Lochan, who happens to be the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment…a ministry headed by Minister Robert Persaud.
New Guyana Company is the one that publishes the party’s newspaper, Mirror, and whose contact person is PPP’s Member of Parliament (MP), Dharamkumar Seeraj.
There have been widespread condemnations, of the allocations of the licences, by local media bodies… the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and the Guyana Media Proprietors Association (GMPA).
The issuance of two cable licences to two of Jagdeo’s closest friends, Vishok Persaud and Brian Yong, has emphasized the shocking extent of the control that was and still is being exercised over the national spectrum.
Now, there are numerous questions as to why Jagdeo did not wait on the authority to do its work. It would be one of the several criticisms facing the legacy of the former President who is under fire for a number of questionable multi-billion-dollar deals that he essentially tied Guyana to while in office.

BYPASSED SYSTEM
Yesterday, Alliance For Change Vice Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo, said that what is wrong in the entire process is the fact that Jagdeo bypassed the system that was established to grant licences.
Nagamootoo, a former Minister of Information under the PPP/C and long time journalist at the Mirror newspaper, pointed out that it was the agreement between political parties that no new licences would have been issued until a new Broadcasting Act was in effect and after an Authority was established.
Yet, weeks after assenting to the Act in 2011, Jagdeo took it upon himself to issue the licences.
“This is the issue that has made the allocations so very lawless. It is how he bypassed what had been agreed to.”
Nagamootoo is a founding member of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers and the first ever regional Vice Chairman of the International Association of Journalists.

BAREFACED THEFT
“This is a clear case of the barefaced theft of national resources, a resource that is limited. The early indications are that the aggrieved media houses and other affected persons and entities who have been ignored may now have recourse in the court,” Nagamootoo, now a practicing lawyer, asserted.
He opined that the latest disclosures may serve to “clip” the Executive’s powers to promote nepotism and challenged President Donald Ramotar to be more than just a “follower” of his predecessor (Jagdeo).
Nagamootoo said he was revolted by the fact that prominent media houses like Kaieteur News and Stabroek News, two independent newspapers, were not favoured in place of the Mirror newspaper which is headed by a “now defunct company” and an individual who does not even have a “passing acquaintance” to the media.
“I am also revolted by the fact that the Mirror complex in Ruimveldt has been hived off to a friend of Jagdeo, Ed Ahmad, and the contract for printing given to ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, a friend of Mr. Jagdeo.”
Nagamootoo served at the Mirror for over 25 years before parting company with the PPP/C in 2011 to join the AFC.
“Party paramountcy has been brought to live again.”

OBNOXIOUS
Meanwhile, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), which has the largest bloc of seats for the opposition in the National Assembly, described Prime Minister Samuel Hinds’ recent disclosures as “obnoxious”, calling for the licences to be revoked.
“Jagdeo and his party should be ashamed. What message are we sending to the world by making such decisions? What makes it worse is that these licences were issued after Jagdeo would have assented to the Broadcast Act and done days before he left office,” said APNU MP, Joe Harmon.
The Parliamentarian pointed out that Jagdeo in essence bypassed the pre-qualification checks that would have been conducted by the Broadcast Authority. He urged for the licences to be recalled as a consequence.
The checks referred to by Harmon have to do with the fact that the Broadcast Authority has made it clear that it would not recognize any old applications that existed before the Act was signed in 2011. The body wants fresh applications…a move that is being resisted by media houses and others that already have applications on file with the National Frequency Monitoring Unit (NFMU), which handled applications before the Act came into being. Applicants have to show financial means and present a business plan.
Earlier this week, Tony Vieira, a long-time television station owner blasted the way the former president issued the licences.
“The entire process is illegal. Full stop. A Broadcast Act was signed. Therefore even if the Broadcast Authority was not established until last year, no licences should have been issued,” Vieira said.
Vieira was the owner of the VCT Channel 28 which he said he was forced to sell out after government pressured him, taking away some of his biggest clients.
Media owners who were ignored by the government are currently examining their options and have not ruled out heading to the courts.
There has been mounting evidence that the radio, television and cable licences were issued as part of a bigger plan by persons close to ruling party to take full control of the growing telecommunications sector.

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