Vieira winds up Guyana Operations
VCT Channel 28, owned by Anthony Vieira, was this week sold to the Ramroop Group of Companies. Vieira who was in television business ever since the 1980s, and considered as one of the persons responsible for opening up the way for more television stations to operate locally, has decided to call it a day.

Commenting on the sales, Vieira said, “I’ve served this country well, especially with my contributions towards television broadcasting.” Having made his contributions, Vieira, now 64, wants to pursue less stressful enterprises.

With respect to the deal with the Ramroop Group of Companies that was inked this week, Vieira said that it was the best offer he has received and had no option but to accept it. “As businessmen, we enter into specific business ventures with objectives, whilst at the same time, seeking to conclude the best alternative or deal; and I believe, having considered all my years of hard work and investments in the television industry, the offer I got for VCT from the Ramroop Group was acceptable, given the sad global financial climate and the generally sad state of the local advertising market; there are just too many channels competing for what is essentially a small advertising pie.” The assets sold to the Ramroop Group include the business office and studio at Quamina Street and the transmission site at Versailles.

Officials from the Ramroop group, also commenting on the sales, said that they will bring new and exciting programmes to Guyanese as they seek to enhance the quality of local television viewing. The officials noted that in the past they had made promises to enhance the quality of output from their many business ventures and have delivered on those promises. The same can be expected now that television broadcasting is part of the group’s operations.

This deal, one senior official said, was thoroughly considered as to its viability and soundness. It was in keeping with the mandate and corporate objectives of the Group as it seeks to expand its investment in Guyana whilst diversifying its business portfolio.