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Mayor bemoans lack of multiple radio stations
By Rabindra Rooplall
Guyana is one of the only countries to have one radio station in the Caribbean and Latin America, says Mayor Hamilton Green. And that radio station is state-owned, he added.
He said that on many occasions while interacting with various persons and groups who had applied for license and who spoke to the Prime Minister to operate a radio station, it was revealed that it was much harder and frustrating since the government seems opposed to other radio stations.
Green declared that such actions are completely in opposition to the essence of a free and democratic society, and with the prospect of elections that should change. He said there should be an opening up of the media so that young people in particular will have a greater access to facts so that they can make a better judgment.
According to reports, among some of the persons that have challenged the situation of Radio stations are Anthony Vieira (who has since relinquished all claims to broadcasting), one broadcaster in Berbice, and Mark Benschop who got his equipment seized.
Vieira moved to the courts but it was not until he had sold the rights to his broadcast channels that the courts ruled that he had a right to a radio station.
It was further revealed in the media that the Government had promised broadcast legislation a long time ago, but there is no move to arrive at consensus with the broadcasters, and certainly no move to table any such legislation.
The result is that there will always be efforts to circumvent existing legislation, as is being done with Internet radio or to simply challenge the administration.
Last March Broadcast Legislation was tabled in the House. The bill seeks to make provision for the establishment of a Broadcasting Authority, which will be an independent professional statutory entity with the purpose of licensing broadcasting agencies namely, radio stations and television stations.
The Bill further seeks to regulate the conditions for the grant, variation, transfer and cancellation of such licences with provision also being made for penalties for breaches of conditions by licencees, and for consequential and related matters connected therewith.
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