THE LONG-AWAITED television station licence for the operation of a television station in Region 10 has been granted. The Guyana Broadcasting Authority has made this known via correspondence sent to the office of the Regional Chairman on Wednesday. This approval came after residents made it known through the former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon that a local television station was needed in the town taking into consideration the limited channels available through the state-owned station, NCN.
While this may be good news for the people of Linden, the Regional Chairman is concerned that the station will be handed over to private ownership and the residents of the region will not be the beneficiaries of this initiative as was proposed.
The Regional Chairman told media operatives at a press conference held on Wednesday that he was reliably informed that the station was to be handed over to private owners. This he deemed as most worrying since this was not officially made known to his office.
“When residents of Region 10 made the open cry to access the station, this was not to be managed by any private resident to benefit private persons, but this was to benefit the people of Region 10,” he articulated. The RC reiterated the authority of the RDC to manage the affairs of the Region, hence any discussion of this nature should be channeled through his office and the office of the councilors. He is therefore calling on the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for public information and the Ministry of the Presidency to look into this matter. “The residents of Region 10 do not want the station to be operated by private owners and if this is so it has to be done in a manner that shows the best interest of the people,” he said.
Regional Chairman Morian said that the station should be manned by a broad-based committee. Even though he declined to reveal the name of the individual or individuals advocating for this private ownership he said that his office was in receipt of information that even at the time of the press conference a dish was being erected at Richmond Hill, Mackenzie where the proposed location for the television station is.
“I was told also that they are supposed to be a handing over by weekend and there would be a trial run. As the chairman I don’t know and this is happening under the radar,” he said. The Regional Chairman is calling upon the relevant Governmental authorities to put a cease order in place and to implement a system that all correspondence pertaining to the television station must be channeled through his office as the elected representative of the people of Linden. The television station should be an investment in the Region that will provide jobs and a much needed service for the people of the Region. Even though this discussion had been made during the office of the previous Regional Chairman, Morian said that there should be a continuation of this operation and the members of the previous administration should no longer be in control of same. Regional Chairman said that correspondences are presently being sent out to the relevant ministers to have this issue addressed with the hope that it will be addressed earliest.