THE Office of the President (OP) has noted and rejected comments emanating from the Guyana Media Proprietors Association regarding radio licensing and media governance. Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon told the media that the Office of the President (OP) was heartened that, in its statements, the GMPA has recognised the PPP/Civic Administration’s efforts to demonopolise radio — an act responding to popular sentiment and in keeping with the court’s ruling — but takes umbrage at the GMPA’S slight innuendos and attacks on the Administration.
The Office of the President is contending that the association’s statements are themed with ill-informed content, and can be shown to be devious, misconceived and unbalanced. “It is obvious that the GMPA did not take time to familiarise itself with the legislative framework concerning licensing, perusal of the Post and Telegraph Act and its wireless telegraphy legislation,” Dr. Luncheon stated.
He is of the view that the bill does not leave room for questioning; and once the GMPA had familiarised itself with the piece of legislation, it would not have come up with that line of questioning.
He expressed the view that “the GMPA ignored the publicly known and uncontested fact that the Leader of the Opposition has thwarted the implementation of the important provisions of the existing legislation along which the association was moralising.” He contended that the association’s extensive writing focused on the state media and its presumed shortcomings, and hopelessly and utterly failed to mention the existence of profound unprofessional behaviour among media practitioners.
The Government, moreover, has undertaken to consider its relationship with the media fraternity as efforts are being made with the provisions of the relevant legislation implemented.
In a recent release, the GMSA had expressed concerns with regard to the process by which the granting of radio licences was done.
Questioned on the administration’s concern about the do-diligence on the financial ability aspect of the bill, Dr Luncheon pointed out that in the absence of the application of the provisions in the legislation, the implementation would likely to have been factors influencing the President’s decision, including the do-diligence about financial ability.
“The provisions are not applicable because of the failure of the Leader of the Opposition to submit names to allow, in this particular instance, the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority to be established as the model, for which their nomination was not in place,” he explained. Moreover, he noted that the then President relied on the wireless telegraphy which was part of the Postal and Telegraph Act, a historic piece of legislation that saw the licensing inclusion at the time of the privatization of the Guyana Telecommunication Corporation in excess of twenty years ago.
“We knew that perusals of the Broadcasting Act ought to provide the kind of reassurances about the intentions of the administration to have equitable applicants be considered, Dr. Luncheon said.