| – says “I did not expect different at this point” While observers comment on the slothfulness of the Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, has said that he is satisfied with the work done so far.Prime Minister,Moses NagamootooThough Cathy Hughes has been appointed Minister of Communications, Nagamootoo still has responsibility for GNBA.The Board has been in existence almost five months now. It met on several occasions but has not been able to do what the coalition had promised the people of Guyana—a review of the Radio Licences.Nagamootoo said that he was totally satisfied with the work of the Board thus far.Further questioned as to whether he would have, by now, expected a full review of the licences and a decision as to the next step, Nagamootoo responded in the negative.The Prime Minister said,Andrea Barzagli Jersey, “I do not think they would have had anything definitive because their remit was to review and they had a large pile of applications that were in backlog and so they would have to settle in a little and do review.”The Board has said nothing definitive about the stalled applications nor has it made a clear statement about the legality of the existing licences.Nagamootoo referred to a sub-committee headed by Anthony Vieira that was set up to review the legality of the licences. But said, “At this point and time, as Minister with responsibility for that sector I would rather wait until they give me a report on what they are doing.”Vieira had said that GNBA found that the conditions under which former President Bharrat Jagdeo granted 11 radio licences in 2011 contradicts the law as well as political agreements that were in place at the time.He said that the committee found that it would be wrong to allow those licences to stand and as such the Board decided that it will soon move to revoke all licences.However, following Kaieteur News’ publication of such, the Chairman of the Board, Leonard Craig told other sections of the media to disregard what Vieira said as he was just an over exuberant member of the Board.The Broadcast Act does not provide for the independence of GNBA, therefore,Manchester United Jerseys, it can very well receive instructions from the ruling administration.Nagamootoo said that he may meet with the Board “some time soon.” He also said that he is expecting a report from the Board “some time soon.”However,Barcelona Jerseys, the Prime Minister said that he has no intention to ask the Board to endeavour to move faster with its work.Nagamootoo was very vocal about the unfair and unlawful distribution of Radio Licences before he entered office.At an elections rally, the coalition held at Golden Grove, Nagamootoo had said that the state media would be liberated and questionable frequency transactions would have been investigated as priority if the APNU+AFC was elected.“We have a plan. We will review all those television stations, and those radio stations that were given to friends. We will ensure that they are re-distributed to those who deserve to have and who are responsible,” he said.He also spoke of the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), which he said would be reorganized to ensure fairness in the distribution of media ownership.Before that, on April 8, 2013,Aleix Vidal Jersey, Nagamootoo said that there was a serious conflict of interest with regard to the allocation of frequencies. “It is disgraceful and scandalous. This is naked nepotism,” Nagamootoo declared. He had stood in the National Assembly calling for a reverse.Jagdeo, before ending his two terms in office in 2011,Arturo Vidal Jersey, approved several radio and cable television licences for mainly friends and his party members.In so doing, he sidelined applications from several prominent media houses including Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Capitol News, HBTV Channel Nine and CNS Channel Six. This was despite a standing agreement for no new licences until new broadcasting regulations and the GNBA were in place.Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop,Alex Sandro Jersey, received one with multiple frequencies. Also receiving a similar number of frequencies was The Mirror,Cheap Bayern Munich Jersey, a newspaper which belonged to the ruling party at the time and Telcor, a company owned by Robert Persaud’s wife, Kamini Persaud and his sister.The disclosures of the licences, which also included approval for two cable TV operations, sparked court cases and several days of protests, as well as local and international condemnation. |
