HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon announced, yesterday, that the phased roll out of the Government all-education television channel will commence by month end. Giving an update on the project, he told the media, during his weekly post-Cabinet briefing at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, that Education Minister Shaik Baksh and the management team of the educational programme made a full presentation on it to Cabinet at its most recent meeting.
Luncheon said the initiative would see, in the mature situation, nationwide coverage on the transmission side.
“Initially, coverage is planned thus: Phase One in Georgetown, in the Corentyne, New Amsterdam and Anna Regina. Shortly thereafter, in Phase Two, coverage is expected to extend to Bartica, Linden, in the Berbice River, Ituni and Kwakwani, Madhia and Orealla. Phase Three would complete the roll out on the transmission side and this would be to Annai, Aishalton, Karasabai and Port Kaituma. This would provide signal across the length and breadth of Guyana,” he said.
According to Luncheon, Baksh explained, to Cabinet, that content would merge local production and internationally sourced programming. The studio, records, and academic scripts dominate the content side and the support of National Communication Network (NCN) and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), on the technical side, was also noted by Cabinet.
Luncheon also said international experience shows that educational television is enormous and Guyana, being new to it, is receiving support in many forms from both countries in the region and further abroad, including North America, Asia and South Africa.
He said the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) will house the video production section and the site for the ancillary services, such as the library.
“For the benefit of the Cabinet members, excerpts from planned programming were shown and Cabinet was advised that, once by the end of March the programming is rolled out, programming will be from 09:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs daily,” the HPS said.
He said: “This is a fully subsidised enterprise. This is not a business venture or a commercial venture. It is not done in conjunction with commercial television or in conjunction with commercial producers of content. The content would be produced in-house or accepted from the considerable international support that is being provided to the Ministry of Education on this programme.”
Luncheon emphasised that, once matters are educational in content, the new channel would capture them.
He said, when the State media cannot facilitate the transmission of signals, satellite transmission will facilitate, having also been incorporated by contract.
The HPS said those communities that do not have electricity will be able to access the services when they benefit from solar panels, as part of the Government’s development of hinterland communities. (Johann Earle)