THE Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has unveiled the new zones and proposed annual fee structure for broadcasting agencies across the country. Broadcasting agencies operating in the primary zone, which includes the Mahaica/Mahaicony district, parts of the Essequibo Island and parts of the Linden Highway, are likely to pay an annual fee of $1.2M.

In the Secondary Zone, which takes in New Amsterdam, Corriverton, parts of the Essequibo Coast, Charity and the Pomeroon, it is proposed that broadcasting agencies pay an annual fee of $0.6M and in the tertiary zone, which includes Parika, Linden and Lethem, the sum of $0.3M.
The proposals were made during an interactive session with the GNBA Board of Directors and television broadcasters on Thursday March 3 – an event aimed at fostering cordial relations and partnerships between broadcasters and the regulatory agency.
It was noted that each of the zones fall under two categories: profitable and non-profitable. To this end, during the consultative process, it was decided that Community Radio Stations should be encouraged; hence a category for this was necessary.
The board expressed a desire to utilise the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) TV Ratings System for determining content for broadcast in Guyana. Television broadcasters will be monitored to ensure their content adheres to the broadcast policy outlined in the Broadcast Act, with respect to offending taste; as such, programmes will be allowed to be aired only in a time slot for which it is suitable.
On the important point of finance, it was noted that there is a large outstanding balance which must be liquidated, the idea of a significant fee reduction and amnesty period be granted and all broadcasters who settle their outstanding amounts within that said period will be considered for the 2016 licence. Broadcasters were told that the Authority wants to know how they are operating their stations with the intention of helping them.
Broadcasters were assured that efforts are being made to level the playing field as far as possible.
Chairman of the board, Leonard Craig, officially introduced the directors to the group of broadcasters. Present were: Anthony Vieira, Jocelyne Josiah, Vic Insanally and Ex- Officio Member Valmikki Singh, the Managing Director of the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU). Directors Ameena Gafoor and Abiola Wong- Inniss were unavoidably absent.
It was pointed out that Josiah chairs the Monitoring and Compliance Committee (MCC) responsible for recommending monitoring and compliance policies to the board.
Vieira, on the other hand, heads the Legal Matters, Fees and Licensing Committee (LMFLC), while Insanally chairs the Finance Committee (FC) – responsible for managing the financial affairs of the committee, and advising the board on financial matters and decisions.
It was noted that the authority looks forward to monitoring all broadcast media, based on approved guidelines and to review and give advice on issues based on those, guidelines. Broadcasters were reminded that the current board inherited a situation where there had not been effective monitoring, regulating or enforcing procedures; hence, these matters are in the forefront of the authority’s agenda.
This consultation saw participation from a wide cross-section of local television broadcasters who expressed personal concerns faced within the broadcast industry. Some of these concerns included: unfair practices among broadcasters, fee structure, signal interferences and the expressed need for protection by the GNBA.