Despite Govt-imposed financial stipulations…Indebted Wireless Connections granted radio licence

Apr 07, 2013 News

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There is growing evidence that Government did not tell the truth when it tried to explain the criteria used by former President Bharrat Jagdeo to issue several radio licences, days before he left office in 2011.

In January last year, Head of the Presidential Secretariat made it clear that the radio licences were issued to persons who had the financial means. It simply meant that the applicant had the money to run the operations associated with radio stations – not a cheap venture by any means.
He also said then that applicants should have been “fit and proper” and must show technical and other media capabilities.
Luncheon, in defending the process, said that not all “lagoo bagoo” would have been considered and that the Broadcast Act would have been used in the issuing of those licences.
However, Government may very well be hard pressed to explain how one businessman received a licence despite indications that he was in financial difficulties. It would be hard-pressed to explain how the other, long established media houses who had applications were overlooked, using the same criteria, despite their financial standings.
Businessman Maxwell Thom who traded under the name of Wireless Connections, a popular cell phone outlet that was based at Bourda Market and several parts of Regent Street, was one who received a radio broadcast licence to transmit on 93.1Fm in Georgetown.
According to the November 27, 2012 publication of the Official Gazette, Citizens Bank signaled intentions for an order to foreclose on mortgages in the name of Maxwell Thom and Shelly Thom, both named as principals of Wireless Connections.
The mortgaged properties that the bank wanted to foreclose on were listed as Block XXX, Parcel 1606, of Plantation Ruimveldt and Lot 55 Broad Street, Charlestown. The Broad Street property is the same lot number where a hotel associated with Thom is being operated.
Thom was also taken to court in 2011 for owing a Regent Street businessman for rent and a judgment was made. Kaieteur News was told that he owes over $6M in back rent on that property, at 130 Regent Street.  He is reportedly heavily indebted to Auto Supplies and a number of other places.
Yesterday, Kaieteur News made contact with Thom for possible comments. However, after listening to the reporter, he said he was in a meeting and a call should be made to him again later. However, his cell phone rang out after that.
Wireless Connections was a main retailer for cell phones and accessories for the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T). There were several branches across the city including at the GPO building. These are now closed.
In addition to Wireless Connections, broadcast licences were also issued to New Guyana Company Limited, which publishes the Mirror newspaper, and belongs to the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was granted five radio frequencies. The contact person for New Guyana Company Limited was listed as Dharam Kumar Seeraj, a Member of Parliament for the PPP.
Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Incorporated was also granted five radio frequencies. The contact person for that company was given as Omkar Lochan, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, under Minister Robert Persaud.
NTN Radio (Anand Persaud), Rudy Grant, Hits and Jams Entertainment (Rawle Ferguson), Alfro Alphonso and Sons Enterprise (Alfro Alphonso), Haslyn Graham and Little Rock Television Station (Rockliffe Christie) also received licences to transmit on one frequency each.
Five more went o Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop.
In December, 2010, Jagdeo also granted two close associates of the PPP permission to broadcast television signals on the 2.5 GHz band, which allows for cable TV operations and internet-related services.
These persons were Vishok Persaud, the son of longstanding PPP stalwart Reepu Daman Persaud, and Brian Yong, who mounted the PPP platform in 1996.
Those who reportedly evaluated the radio application included controversial Press Liaison to the President, Kwame McCoy, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon; Network Administration at the Office of the President, Roy Jagnandan; and Head of the Project Cycle Management Division of the Ministry of Finance, Tarchand Balgobin.
The administration had defended Jagdeo’s decision to issue those licence even though it was days before he stepped down. Both Luncheon and President Donald Ramotar stopped short in explaining what methods Jagdeo used in arriving at his decision in choosing those successful applicants.
The issuance of radio and television licences has been a contentious one over the years drawing a sharp divide between government and the opposition who railed against the lone state-controlled radio stations.
An agreement was finally made to establish the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority under a new Broadcast Act which was passed in 2011. Jagdeo signed that act in 2011 but did not wait for authority to do its work.
The details of those licences were only revealed when the Opposition demanded answers and got them a few weeks ago, sparking several protests by media houses and newspaper vendors over what they said was the unfair distribution.
Both Kaieteur News, the biggest selling newspaper in Guyana and Stabroek News, another independent one, were among those overlooked by the former President.
The Broadcast Authority has since asked media houses and others to submit fresh applications.

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