FIREFIGHTERS on Sunday averted a major blaze at the old television station building located in Richmond Hill, Linden, by arriving promptly at the scene.
While the building, fence and dish were partially damaged, the land and other articles in the compound were scorched.

According to a resident of Richmond Hill, the fire started around 15:00hrs, allegedly by a security guard attached to the doctor’s quarters who was trying to burn some rubbish.
“The fire quickly spread due to the dry undergrass, so it started to spread very fast and spread across to the building and it passed that and was going down the hill, but quick work by the fire men, who would have responded promptly,” the resident said.

The old television station, known as the Linden Television Station, was a gift to the community by expatriate company Green Construction. The building was left abandoned after the station came under the management of the National Communications Network (NCN) and the operation was moved to Watooka.

After the signing of the 2012 agreement between the former administration and former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, the dish was handed over to the community and the Region 10 Television Station which is yet to be established. The station is to be housed at the very building that was saved on Sunday.

Calls continue to be made for the directors of the television station to put differences aside, so that the process of putting the station on air can be expedited. It has been over a year since the trustees have held a meeting to discuss the interest of the station. In 2012, a bloody protest which resulted in the death of three Lindeners marked the call by Lindeners to have their own television station.