Glenn Lall highlights broadcast licence issue in Curacao

May 05, 2013 News

…Regional media executives to monitor legal challenge

Kaieteur News proprietor, Glenn Lall, staged a one-man picketing demonstration in Curacao Friday to highlight the current campaign to regularise the granting of radio broadcast licences in Guyana.
Lall’s demonstration took place in the presence of regional journalists from 17 countries, academics, activists and media law experts observing World Press Freedom Day at the Renaissance Curacao Hotel.

Glenn Lall at the UNESCO Conference on Friday

Lall received expressions of solidarity from several regional journalists in attendance and was warmly greeted by members of the Curacao Media Organisation (CMO), including its President, Stanley Ignacio.
Guyana’s current broadcast licensing conflict featured throughout the day’s proceedings with indirect reference made by President of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), Wesley Gibbings, who asked in his opening remarks: “Are broadcast licences opening the doors or shutting them in our faces?”
Executive director of the International Press Institute (IPI), Alison Bethel, fresh from a recent visit to Guyana, said that her organisation was “concerned” about the issue.
Press Liaison Officer in Office of the President, Kwame McCoy, was also present. He defended the award of licences by former president, Bharrat Jagdeo and said everything that was done was in keeping with the requirements of the Post and Telegraph Act.
He attempted to refute the argument presented by Lall that licences were only awarded to “friends, family and party” and said that an objective look at the issue will find that the rules, which existed at the time, had been observed.
Lall however pointed to what he described as vindictive behaviour against those who expose the wrongdoing of the government and claimed that under the current administration, “covering corruption is a crime.”
The exchanges became heated at one point with Enrico Woolford of Capitol News questioning the statement by McCoy that he could not remember the names of all persons who were involved in screening applicants for radio licenses under the Jagdeo administration.
McCoy told participants at the conference hosted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in collaboration with the ACM and the government of Curacao, that the work of some independent media was often motivated by “revenge and spite.”
He also denied a claim by Guyana Press Association (GPA) executive, Nazima Raghubir, that workers of the state media were discouraged from becoming members of the association.
“There is no state position on membership of the GPA,” he insisted.

President of the Curacao Media Organisation, Stanley Ignacio (second left seated) and other senior regional media workers lend support to Kaieteur News’ Publisher, Glenn Lall (third right in back row standing)

The WPFD observances were followed by training workshops on the coverage of elections, science and development and reporting on the environment.