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Sabotage suspected as TV station tower crashes down
A television station is now off-air after its tower came crashing down yesterday.
The damage in the compound yesterday.
The management and staffers of MTV Channel 14/Cable 65 believe that the incident is sabotage, with the police now investigating.
According to Raymond Singh, General Manager of the privately-owned channel, a nipper was found attached to one of the three guide lines that anchor the tower down.
The incident occurred in broad daylight along the Eccles dumpsite road, East Bank Demerara.
Singh said that all stops would be pulled out to ensure that the station restarts its broadcasts again as early as Monday, although capacity would not be full.
This is until repairs can be carried out and the tower anchored back into position.
Singh said that approximately, 00:10hrs, he received a call that the antenna had come crashing down. He arrived to see pieces of the tower on the guard hut and a shed in the neighbouring compound that houses a printery. There was damage to the roof of the studio.
The officials said that it appeared that the guide wire was deliberately cut.
Some of the station’s staffers at the location.
“They were pulling the wire and it was stuck, and on investigating, found that a nipper was attached.”
The GM said he and other officials immediately made a report to the Providence Police Station.
“The police are doing investigations. We are asking persons to bear with us, as we work to start broadcasting again.”
Singh declined to name anyone that he suspect could be involved.
“It is too early. The police are doing their investigations.”
According to Paul ‘DJ Stress’ Bonar, he was in the Eccles studio, and had just finished a show when the incident occurred.
“We were watching CPL replay from Thursday night and the screen went blue and there was a loud noise. I knew that something happened.”
Bonar said that on rushing outside, they saw parts of the tower lying in the compound.
The tower, with one of its anchoring cables cut, was ripped from its base.
An investigator taking away the nipper.
Police were on the scene yesterday, taking away the nipper and taking photos.
The station itself in a statement said, in confirming the incident, that the collapse caused severe damage to its broadcast equipment and building. Parts of the tower also caused extensive damage to a dish in the compound.
“The circumstances surrounding this collapse are currently under investigation. However, sabotage is not ruled out. Our team is working assiduously to restore all operations.”
The station said that it is badly affected.
“Unfortunately, all programmes, advertisements and great entertainment including MTV’s News Update and Death Announcements etc. will not be aired until further notice. We humbly ask our advertisers, producers and viewers to remain steadfast, as we seek to address this issue.”
MTV was previously controlled by former Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud and his wife, Kamini. They have since parted company with the station.
The shareholders, including a number of businessmen, are now managing the station which first came on air in the 1990s. The station has 25 staffers.
Yesterday, station officials said that they are offering a $1M reward for information leading to perpetrators of the act.
They said that calls, which will be treated with confidence, can be made to mobile number 6918299 or to the Providence police station, 265-7388.
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