| Parliament’s largest opposition body, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), has called for the immediate suspension of Channel 27/Cable 78, which is dedicated to China Central Television (CCTV).APNU, which is a coalition of 10 parties,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, and which commands 26 seats in the National Assembly, said that it is convinced that the allocation of “channels 27/78 to CCTV is not above board and is in violation of the Broadcast Act”.CCTV started broadcasting two weeks ago,China Jerseys Free Shipping, immediately sparking questions over what procedures were used to grant it the authority to operate,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, in the first place.After several conflicting statements from officials,Wholesale China Jerseys, Government took the stance that CCTV needed no licence to operate as it was broadcasting on a channel dedicated to the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN).The issue of TV and radio licences has been a burning one with accusations that government was only issuing the licences in a partisan manner to its friends.Weeks before he finished his constitutional term in office back in November 2011, the administration of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, issued several radio licences. Both Kaieteur News and Stabroek News, two independent dailies,Cheap Jerseys Outlet, were ignored in the granting of those licences.The newly established regulatory body, Guyana National Broadcast Authority (GNBA) has since said; it will not be recognizing any old applications and that new ones will have to be submitted.Chairperson of GNBA, Bibi Shadick, a Member of Parliament for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), had initially, said that there was no record of CCTV’s application for licences on file. She later backed Prime Minister Sam Hinds who said that no licence is necessary for CCTV as it was only transmitting on NCN’s channel.However, both APNU and Alliance For Change (AFC), have been demanding answers how NCN was allocated that channel, in the first instance.According to APNU, yesterday, it is aware that the broadcast authority on Tuesday made a number of decisions, at its meeting.One of these decisions included GNBA awaiting an application from NCN (with accompanying plans etc.) before it can address the propriety of the CCTV arrangement. A March deadline for submission was set.APNU also said that it is aware that the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB) will no longer communicate with stations during the transition period to absorb it within the GNBA.GNBA also reportedly decided that it can only proceed with the Linden TV matter when an application is received from the Regional Democratic Council.APNU said that it is important that the GNBA is taking steps to assert its authority since, even in the midst of “some imperfections in the Broadcast Act” of 2011,cheap jerseys, “it still represents a positive step in the direction of regulating, supervising and developing the national broadcast system”.APNU pointed to a recent statement of the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday where it was said that the assigning of channels 27/78 to CCTV is a business arrangement with NCN.“We are aware that NCN, as a company, has been plagued by incidents of irregularities which are still to be addressed by the Minister of Communication, His Excellency the President.We have written to the Office of the President requesting a complete copy of the report of the investigation of NCN and have had no positive response which addresses the recommendations contained in that report.”APNU questioned how NCN could have entered into a business agreement with a foreign entity when its “agreement with local personnel has been tinged with illegality?”Government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon, initially said that CCTV’s appearance in Guyana dated back to nearly a decade when Guyana and China signed a bilateral agreement.In addition to the political parties and broadcasters, criticisms of CCTV’s sudden appearance have also come from the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a powerful grouping of businesses in the capital city.The CCTV facilities are housed in the NCN’s compound. |
