– GNBA warns defaulting broadcasters

BROADCASTERS indebted to the Guyana National Broadcasting Agency (GNBA) are being cautioned that if by the end of the business day today they have not fulfilled their contractual agreement, they will lose their licences.

The warning comes from Chairman of the GNBA, Leslie Sobers, who says that a number of broadcasters, primarily those in radio, have not followed through with agreements made at the beginning of the year.
Back in January, the Agency met with broadcasters for radio, television and cable explaining that their outstanding arrears would be settled in a manner which would give them additional time to pay off their debts.
The final decision was that broadcasters would pay 50 per cent of the monies owing to the GNBA by the end of March, then, pay the remaining percentage over a period of months.
However, it is now April and Sobers says that many have not complied, and as such, the agency is fully prepared to move ahead with the consequences of such actions.

In the new week, a list will be compiled and published in the media of all broadcasters in compliance with the aforementioned contract, and only those on the list will receive licences to broadcast in 2018.
Those not on the list can expect to have their service discontinued or face the full brunt of the law, in accordance with the National Broadcast Act 2011 and its 2017 Amendment.

According to the Act, any person who carries on a broadcasting service at the licensed location after the licence granted to him has been suspended, cancelled or expired commits an offence.
That person is liable to a fine of $2M and imprisonment for one year, along with the forfeiting of all machinery and equipment used, or which can be used, for broadcasting.
The deadline for making good on payment is today, Friday, April 6, 2018.