IN a letter by Anthony Vieira, owner of the VCT 28, published in the Monday’s edition of the Kaieteur News captioned “The ACB should be disbanded,” Vieira posited that the ACB is an illegal entity and challenged its authority to among other things caution Channels 6 and 9 for airing religious broadcast where a preacher claims to have the ability to heal persons of HIV/AIDS.

While Vieira may want to take issue with the individuals who sit on the ACB, and as a matter of fact, any person who holds an opinion that differs from him, he cannot deny that encouraging any person to believe that the use of any home remedy to cure HIV/AIDS is dangerous.

The Health Minister’s complaint against that practice is justified. Vieira’s concern in this matter may be inspired more because the restriction may affect his business than the people who suffer as a result of listening to these persons making ridiculous claims.

Vieira should spend some time speaking to the relatives of the persons who died as a result of their belief that these preachers had healed them of HIV/AIDS and stopped taking their medication.

I can well understand the venom towards HJTV72 since Vieira was paid for the TBN programmes broadcast on that channel. Vieira seems to still be stuck in the class mode where he feels that he has a right to determine what should and should not be aired.

As a pioneer of Television broadcast in Guyana, Vieira ensured that only the privileged were allowed to view programmes on his TV station. It was CN Sharma and others that he feels compelled to criticise, ever so often, that offered free programming to Guyanese and revolutionized that industry.

The fact is that without the relevant legislation, government still has the responsibility to ensure that citizens are protected from harm. The world has already seen the results of the uncontrolled broadcasting of programmes in Rwanda. We have had experiences in Guyana, after the 1997 and 2001 elections, that resulted in damage to property and individuals and it could have escalated to a even more serious situation had it not been for some drastic actions being taken.

Vieira being a representative of the People’s National Congress Reform in the National Assembly should be more cognisant of these issues, placing ‘the people’ before self.

The fact that no legally constituted Broadcast Authority exists is a failure on the part of the opposition, as much as the Government. The opposition seems bent on ensuring that any constitutional body that requires consultation to be established is stymied by disagreeing on nominees and other delaying tactics.

This was seen in the length of time it took for the establishment of the Rights Commissions.
JEAN RAMROOP