THE Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) on Thursday issued a stern warning against errant broadcasters, reminding that they can be fined and jailed.

It pointed out that the Broadcasting Act of 2011, Section 43 (C) provides that 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 and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1M and imprisonment for one year.

Additionally, all machinery and equipment used, or which can be used for broadcasting and owned by/or in the possession of the person concerned is liable to be forfeited.
“GNBA takes this opportunity to urge all broadcasters to honour their obligations to the authority in order to be recognised as a responsible and compliant broadcaster and to avoid sanctions under the Act,” the broadcasting authority urged.

The broadcast authority disclosed too that it will soon be publishing a list of compliant broadcasters. Persons not indicated on that list would not have received licences for 2019; and consequently should not be broadcasting, the GNBA said.

Last October, the GNBA had indicated that broadcasters’ indebtedness to GNBA had exceeded $50M.