Gov’t to revise, reclaim ‘illegal’ radio, TV licenses
PRIME MINISTER Moses Nagamootoo, who is also the Minister of Public Information, has promised to revise and reclaim radio and television licenses that were doled out under the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to “relatives, cronies, and friends” of the party. During his budget address after midnight Friday, Mr Nagamootoo promised to rework the country’s spectrum for television and radio licenses.
In 2011, just as former President, now Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo was ready to demit office, he had doled out a number of TV and radio licenses to persons close to his party.
The PM said the revision and possible reversal of the licenses is part of his efforts, as Public Information Minister, to reorganise the public broadcast media.
“I have now decided to professionalise the public information service to bring a new module for public information, where journalists working in the public media must be required to exhibit only one quality, which is professionalism,” the PM declared.
He is optimistic that he will achieve this development, even as he has requested the budgetary allocation to his office be cut from $1B, as in the previous administration, to some $300M.
NATIONAL BROADCASTING AUTHORITY
In September 2011, former President Bharrat Jagdeo signed the Broadcasting Bill into law, setting up the National Broadcasting Authority.
That Authority, under the Chairpersonship of Bibi Shaddick, former PPP MP, distributed some 22 radio and television licenses, just two months before the November elections which saw the then governing PPP/C losing their majority in the National Assembly.
Eyebrows were raised when it was uncovered that licenses had been given to friends and close relatives of then President Jagdeo.
