Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 11, 2012 News
Leaders of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday issued stinging criticisms of the Government over its unfair issuing of radio licences.
Representatives of both parties said that the issue was being thoroughly analyzed and further statements and action will follow.
The expressions of resentment from the representatives of the two parties are the latest condemnations being publicly made following the issuing of licences last year to eleven applicants and more recently the launch of the privately-owned Radio Guyana Inc. (RGI) on Thursday last.
RGI is part of a media group which also includes TVG Guyana and the Guyana Times, all owned by Queens Atlantic Investment Inc in which Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, described as a very good friend of ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo, is a principal.
Leader of the APNU, Brig. (Ret’d) David Granger, said that APNU strongly criticizes the process in which persons aligned with the former President Bharrat Jagdeo were issued radio licenses.
He said that APNU has always been on the side of liberalizing and de-politicising the licence process.
He said that APNU will champion freedom of the press, and freedom of information as guaranteed under the constitution of Guyana, and will work assiduously to ensure that every Guyanese has access to information and hopefully see the end of the present monopoly.
APNU is currently studying the entire process; examining the rebuttals and statements made by President Jagdeo and Dr. Ramroop of TVG 28 and will have a more detailed statement shortly.
Mrs. Cathy Hughes of the AFC also reiterated her past condemnations of this act of “favouritism and nepotism” by Government.
She said that given recent developments, the AFC will present a more detailed statement on the issue within the next twenty four hours.
Radio Guyana was among several radio broadcasters to receive their licences in January.
The others were Matthew’s Ridge Community Council; Little Rock Television Station; Alfro Alphonso and Sons Enterprise; New Guyana Company Limited; National Television Network (NTN); Hits and Jams Entertainment; Wireless Connections; Rudy Grant; Telcor and Cultural Broadcasting Inc.; and Linden Wireless Communication Network.
Radio Guyana, starting as it did last Thursday was the first of the lot to commence operations.
Several organizations which consider themselves as having the capability and the experience to operate Radio stations have been overlooked; and many have complained.
Forty-five such organizations which had applied were told that their applications were scrapped and they should apply all over again with new business plans.
These rejected applicants have charged that the Jagdeo Government mysteriously and inexplicably refused to grant licences to many entities that had applied long before all of those now granted.
Among those with applications dating back a long time were Kaieteur News and Stabroek News.
Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall Sunday last said that he was not happy when he was ignored for a radio licence.
He said that the only reason Jagdeo could give for bypassing him is because of Kaieteur News’s exposure of the corruption that became rampant during Jagdeo’s tenure.
He vowed that he will not sit back and accept this situation.
“I will never allow people who had no prior involvement in media or Johnny Come Lately being given radio licences before those who had applications in the system, among them Kaieteur News, years earlier.”
He said that he finds the award of these licences not only unacceptable but also dishonest and disrespectful to those who have been ignored.
“This is more an insult, not only to Kaieteur News, but also to the people of this country. I will not take it lightly. I will not allow this situation to slide. I will fight this issue to the end.”
All of the rejected applicants have stressed that Government has to come clean on how those licences were issued.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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