Harmon vows all-out fight to recall Jagdeo-issued radio licences

Apr 07, 2013 News

Parliamentarian Joseph Harmon has vowed an all-out fight to have the radio licences issued by former President Bharrat Jagdeo just before he left office recalled.
Harmon, a leading executive with the opposition coalition APNU, declared that Parliamentary, judicial and all necessary measures would be taken as the need arises. He has not ruled out street protests to correct what he says was a clear case of nepotism and bias on the part of Jagdeo.

Parliamentarian Joseph Harmon

Further, Harmon declared that the Broadcasting Authority, which has been “piled up with political appointees” should be made independent and autonomous.
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.
Harmon contended that those licences were issued even though Mr. Jagdeo had signed new regulations into law which would bring a broadcasting authority in place to issue such licences.
As far as Harmon is concerned, Jagdeo used his powers in an arbitrary manner and in a way that expressed nothing but bias towards his friends and the friends of the government.
President Donald Ramotar has defended the granting of broadcast licences by Jagdeo, saying that the former President was simply fulfilling a commitment he had made early in his second term of office.
Harmon argued that even if Jagdeo was doing so, his powers needed to be exercised in the context of the new broadcast regulations which he signed into law.
President Ramotar 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.
“This is simply too much,” Harmon argued. He said that the licences should be recalled and that those licencees should reapply under the new legislation and fulfill the requirements of the new process, including spelling out the need for five frequencies. Even so, Harmon argued that the Governing Board of the Broadcasting Authority should be made autonomous and independent, and without the control of the political directorate.
Bibi Shadick, a Member of Parliament with the ruling PPP, chairs the governing board.
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.
Jagdeo also granted cable licences on the 2.5 GHz Band to his close associates, Vishok Persaud of E-Networks and Brian Yong.
Both Persaud and 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 licenced 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.
Harmon said that the opposition would be proposing amendments to the Broadcast Act to make it independent and free of political control.