China Central TV on air…Gov’t has set a dangerous precedent

– Kit Nascimento

Government’s decision to grant China Central TV (CCTV) permission to broadcast in Guyana has set a dangerous precedent, a long-time veteran media practitioner has said. According to Kit Nascimento, the floodgates are now open for another government, with whom Guyana has diplomatic, trade and commercial relations, to expect the same privileged right to broadcast on a domestic channel.

Kit Nascimento

Nascimento, who has served at the state-owned newspaper, said he was once “professionally” and “intimately” involved in the drafting of Broadcast Legislation for Guyana, along with Hugh Cholmondeley. “I write, therefore, to express both my shock and dismay that our government has, with seeming pride and satisfaction, granted an exclusive domestic broadcast frequency to the government of China. I would be equally dismayed and shocked if our government were to grant such a right to any government.” CCTV is broadcasting on Channel 27/Cable 78 and was commissioned last week after suddenly going on air. In a letter to Kaieteur News, Nascimento pointed out that one of the main reasons Guyana has established broadcasting legislation and an authority to grant a licence and frequency, is that the airwaves (electro-magnetic spectrum) are a finite natural resource for mass communication. It therefore must “be used in a responsible manner to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity”. “What the government has done is to give in effect a broadcasting licence to own and operate a television broadcasting station in Guyana to the government of China without it being subject to the regulatory requirements, principles and practices governing the issuance and use of a broadcasting licence applied universally in any democracy. A fundamental principle and practice in any democracy governing the issuance and use of a broadcasting licence is, for instance, that the licencee makes a positive, diligent and continuing effort to determine the taste, needs and desires of the public in his (her) community and to provide programming to meet those needs and interests.” PUBLIC INTEREST? A public relations specialist, Nascimento questioned how the public interest would be served, “never mind regulated”, by a station broadcasting what amounts to “Chinese propaganda”. While Guyana’s Broadcasting Authority, which was established last year, is yet to apply these principles to local domestic licences, they are most certainly violated by the granting of the licence to the Chinese government to broadcast material serving only its exclusive interest. “It is difficult, therefore, if not impossible, to understand how our government, who apparently has acted unilaterally in granting a broadcasting channel to China outside of the requirements of the recently passed Broadcasting Act and without the sanctioning of the Broadcasting Authority, should consider the granting of a broadcasting frequency to a foreign government to be serving the public interest and convenience of the people of Guyana.” He had several more questions, including how the licence was granted in the first place and by whom. “…and how will it be subject to the enforcement of the broadcasting standards set by our Broadcasting Regulations? Finally, how does our government and, indeed, will our government justify the precedent it has set in granting a broadcasting licence (if that is what it has done) to a foreign government?” Nascimento also said he is not aware of any sovereign government which has granted to another government an unregulated exclusive right to broadcast on one of its domestic frequencies. “Our government, no matter how much it wishes to cement relations with the government of China, has made a horrific mistake and has set a dangerous and indefensible precedent.” The setting up of China Central TV (CCTV) was a direct government-to-government agreement between Guyana and China. This was according to Michael Gordon, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the state TV, National Communications Network (NCN). The agreement was signed here, between NCN and the Chinese embassy, on December 30, 2011. Gordon said that NCN did not negotiate any of the arrangements for the setting-up of the television station. He explained that all costs for the setting up of the station were borne by the Chinese government. He said the Chinese government constructed a building and installed its transmitter in the compound of NCN. DONE DEAL Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon, when questioned recently, claimed that issuance of the television licence to China was an agreement in the making prior to former President Jagdeo placing an embargo on the issuing of television licences in 2001. According to Luncheon, the agreement took over 10 years to be implemented and Government is pleased with its conclusion and turning of the switch to put CCTV on air this year. Nascimento joined a number of others criticizing the news that CCTV is on air. Veteran broadcaster Enrico Woolford has been pressing for the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) to reveal who has been allocated what frequencies in Guyana, but to no avail. “The government of Guyana gave China a 24-hour channel on Guyana’s ‘limited electro-magnetic spectrum’ ahead of its own and CARICOM Citizens under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy mechanism,” Woolford recently stated. He pointed out that the giving of licences to a foreign country has to be done with full public knowledge, complete and transparent disclosure, since part of the country’s limited resources is being utilised. Woolford noted that it is important that the public should know what the existing frequencies are and what is available. He made reference to the fact that prior to the embargo, requests were made for local television, and to date nothing has been done. Executive Member of the opposition coalition APNU, Lance Carberry, last week said that the government needs to clarify the arrangements under which CCTV is licenced to broadcast from Guyana. Cathy Hughes, Parliamentarian of the Alliance for Change, said she will be demanding answers in the National Assembly.

Kit Nascimento was Minister of Information under Burnham and Hoyte.... Played an Important part in Rigged Elections, Stealing all the Ballot Boxes, Beat, Rob and Kill PPP supporters ...Rape the Women and Coverup the  Rodney murder.

During the violence in Linden Nagamotoo testified on national tv that the PNC never used violence against the innocent.

If Priya is an example of a nice indian woman then fat cows have something to answer for.

oW bHAI, THE lust FOR power DOES DO THAT TO YOU. lEAVE THE POOR MAN ALONE.

Oi Councie-cous, you any way related to Gollum?