…Lindeners bemoan limited coverage of local news

…urge speedy set up of Linden TV

LINDENERS’ patience may be growing thin, as it relates to the establishment of the town’s very own television station that was promised by the current administration within the first 100 days of taking office.It has been approximately one year and six months since those 100 days have elapsed and the residents of Linden are still limited to the weekly news broadcast by the National Communications Network Linden branch. Pressure is mounting on former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon to resolve outstanding issues that have reportedly held up the process.
On Monday, the Guyana Chronicle contacted Mr Imran Khan, Director of Public Information, in an effort to ascertain whether the process for materialisation of the station has made any progress. He revealed that the answer lies with founder of the Trust, Sharma Solomon, as he was mandated to have its membership expanded. Solomon however when contacted, said that the additional 11 members were indeed legally added to the board and there will be a meeting later this week to iron out issues.
In an invited comment, Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, who was also added to its membership stated that he is clueless about what is going on, as he was trying to ascertain where the process is by fellow board members. He said that the time has long passed for the members to meet collectively and discuss the way forward. The application for a television station was made after residents had complained about the limited and bias content to which they were subjected by the NCN under the PPP administration. The Government signed an agreement on August 21,2012, to grant the licence after a deadly protest which resulted in the death of three Lindeners.

FRUSTRATION
Speaking to this newspaper on Monday, residents expressed deep disappointment and frustration over a process that seems unending. Some residents explained the need for the town to have its own television station, as there is much to be desired about the Friday

edition of the NCN’s Linden Branch newscast. “What I am saying is that they promise we this thing so long and we can’t get it up to now, there are so many things going on in Linden, people want to air their concerns and their views, not everybody get money to buy papers every day or read news online, and we need we television [station] so that we can see what’s going on in we community at least three times a week, once a week is not good enough for Linden, we need our station,” a market vendor told this newspaper.
Another resident, who gave her name as Shondell, said that she is of the belief that the regional authorities are stymieing the materialisation of the station and that is not good enough. “ When the Prime Minister went up here last August and he walk about the market, he said that the region has issues and once those are sorted out, we will get our station; that was since 2016, now is 2017 and we in hear nothing up to now,” she said.
Devon Marks, a young man, said that he too believes that it is time Lindeners stop being made scapegoats and are granted their station that was promised since 2012. “ The news NCN bringing over is not enough, but I understand that these reporters up here working under a lot of constraints, no transportation, no money, so they doing the best they can, but we need our own, we need our own station to sensitise the people on what going on,” he said.
Last August, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is responsible for the state media, told the residents of Linden during a walkabout that The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) stands ready to issue the licence for the operationalisation of the Linden Television station, but there are still some unresolved issues within the Region 10 community. The Prime Minister explained that Channel 13 has already been secured for Linden, but that the station will be granted when the issues are resolved. “I have already spoken to the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority, they are waiting to grant the licence, all you need is the licence, in the meantime you are having television but the signals are coming from Georgetown…when I first became a Minister of Information, I came and handed over the television station to a people’s committee in Linden to run it and to have local programmes, you need to also do that, …we will help to train persons to make the local programmes and you can take part in your own activities and in your own life and see yourself on television, so we are ready and willing to move on,” the Prime Minister told the residents.
The persons added to the Trust are Councillor Sandra Adams and resident Mr Phillip Bynoe; Mayor Carwyn Holland and his deputy, Ms Waneka Arrindale; Regional MPs Mr Jermaine Figueira and Mr Audwin Rutherford; Mr Leslie Gonsalves and Ms Merna Adrian. Some disagreements erupted, after however, as some Councillors of the Regional Democratic Council and the municipality claimed that the decision made to add members from their organisations was done unilaterally. Correspondence were written to the Prime Minister concerning this disagreement.