GUYANA National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Chairman Leslie Sobers said action will be taken against broadcasters who have not honoured their obligations to the authority by March month-end.

The chairman noted that the Broadcast (Amendment) Act of 2017 prescribes a series of penalties for non-compliance and legal action will be taken against those operating illegally.
Speaking with Guyana Chronicle, Sobers said the delinquent broadcasters are in two categories: those who were never licensed and those who are licensed but are in arrears.

The unlicensed broadcasters have been using the airwaves and earning an income even as the GNBA tries to regularise the broadcasting industry.

“Several came in and were regularised and there were others who did not do so. We then called them in and worked out an arrangement based on their financial position and we had a very clear understanding, that they will try to clear the backlog and then we will regularise them by issuing them licences,” he said.

He said the deal entailed that the broadcasters would pay 50 per cent of their arrears by February 25, 2018 and the balance would be dealt with over a six-to-nine-month period.
The GNBA chair added that the same arrangement was given to those broadcasters who were previously licensed and are now in arrears.

“We will now give those broadcasters up to the end of March 2018 to pay their 50 per cent and enter into a contractual relation with GNBA for the payment of the backlog …. I am not going to mention these broadcasters as yet, since we plan to strike them off the register of broadcasters. Whether they were previous broadcasters or not, if they don’t honour their obligations, they will not be issued with licences for 2018,” Sobers said.

He said the first quarter of 2018 will not pass without the regularisation of the broadcast industry while noting that illegal operators will be identified.

According to the Broadcast (Amendment) Act of 2017, defaulters could be fined $2M and be imprisoned for one year. It also provides for the seizure of equipment relative to the television and radio broadcasters.