Guyanese Online

Media refuse to accept biased distribution of radio licences

MARCH 18, 2013 | BY KNEWS |

…Press Association calls for overseas intervention

Revelations that former President Bharrat Jagdeo farmed out radio and television licences to his friends and others close to the government just before the last elections have sparked widespread concerns and a statement of defiance from privately-owned media houses.

Yesterday, the Guyana Media Proprietors Association (GMPA) and Guyana Press Association (GPA) issued statements calling for an immediate reversal of the allocations.
Several private media houses and personalities who had applied for licences and are seen as critics of the government were bypassed by Jagdeo. The former President approved the licences as Minister of Information shortly before his constitutional term in office ended in November, 2011.  [read more]

A case of presidential deception

When a president takes the oath of office he pledges to serve all the people of Guyana regardless of race, creed, colour or political affiliation. He then proceeds to administer the business of state, in the process making decisions that would impact the nation.

However, recent events seem to show that Guyana’s last president, Bharrat Jagdeo, failed to honour that pledge. Certain events seem to reveal a self-serving and selfish, almost dictatorial attitude. One is forced to reach this conclusion when one examines his release of radio frequencies to fulfill a promise he had made shortly before he demitted office.
Before the release of the radio frequencies there had been a rash of people scrambling to acquire frequencies for television broadcasts. The first of these was Anthony Vieira, the man credited with introducing television to Guyana. Others followed and they proceeded to allocate to themselves those frequencies that were available. [read more]