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GNBA board spilt on taking TVG off air
The Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is divided when it comes to deciding whether or not to pull Television Guyana Inc. TVG) —Channel 28—off air due to the station’s unlicensed operations.
Head of the Authority, Leonard Craig
Very reliable sources told Kaieteur News that half of the Board is saying that measures must be taken swiftly to shut down the station so as to force it into compliance, but the other half remains sympathetic to the company.
When contacted, Head of the Authority, Leonard Craig, refused to comment on the matter. He said that his comments would be premature at a time when the Board is considering holding a press conference by the end of the year.
Television Guyana Inc., owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, had taken GNBA to court over the Authority’s decision not to furnish it with its yearly broadcasting licence certificate.
The writ was filed since October 4, last.
Kaieteur News understands that the matter was set to come up in the Chief Justice’s court in a matter of days when Ramroop’s lawyers informed the Authority that the case will be withdrawn.
Currently, Television Guyana Inc. (TVG) —Channel 28—is on air without the lawful requirement, that being a broadcasting licence.
Kaieteur News understands that the Authority refused to make the licence certificate available as a result of Television Guyana Inc.’s sustained reluctance to provide the Authority with financial statements of the company’s profits for the years 2013 and 2014.
Currently, broadcasters are mandated to pay an annual licensing fee of $2.5M or 3.5 per cent of the company’s earnings, whichever is greater.
Television Guyana Inc. paid the $2.5M, but the Authority requested the company’s financial statements in order to make sure that it was not being shortchanged. GNBA wanted to evaluate the company’s financial statements to ensure that $2.5M is a larger sum than 3.5 per cent of the stations’ earnings.
Therefore, the Authority took a stand that it would not give Television Guyana Inc. a licence until such time as the required statements were provided.
Television Guyana Inc. has thus decided to take the matter to court. The television entity petitioned the court for the Authority to issue it with broadcasting licences for the years 2014 and 2015 on the grounds that the decision to refuse to do so, was unlawful and ultra vires (beyond the Authority’s power).
GNBA is the regulatory body tasked with overseeing the operations of radio and television stations in Guyana. It has the Authority to order a delinquent station to go off air. However, Craig said that while it is true that Television Guyana Inc. is operating in violation of the law, the Board did not meet to decide whether it would have ordered the station to go off air, or whether it would have gone ahead with prosecution.
The Head of the Authority said that the GNBA is not in a position to give Television Guyana Inc. a licence until such time as the court decision is handed down or the financial statements are provided.
Dr. Ramroop is the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. Under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, Dr. Ramroop was able to buy his TV station. He was given several radio frequencies and established a daily newspaper.
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