…Radio Essequibo begins transmission across Region 2

COMMUNITIES like Adventure, Akawini Mission and Bethany to Machabo and Kabakaburi and all the way up and down the Pomeroon River, can now tune into Radio Essequibo 95.5FM, the first such frequency on the Essequibo Coast.

On Saturday, The Hon. Moses Nagamootoo, Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, launched the frequency, part of the Voice of Guyana (VOG) radio network. The launch took place in the studio of the National Communications Network (NCN) in Georgetown, simultaneously with the frequency being turned on in Essequibo.
During his feature address, the Prime Minister, who is also celebrating his 72nd Birth Anniversary today, noted that it was indeed an honour to be a part of this historic event.  “Today is a very historic day in the history of broadcasting and communication, not only for Essequibo but for the entire Guyana,” the Prime Minister stated.

Adding that Guyana has a plural democratic structure and it was necessary for the government to undertake the process of informing the nation. “This country has now opened up itself to become part and parcel of the worldwide communication system where citizens are not locked out from receiving information. Imparting information is part of citizens democratic right to be informed, it’s a democratic society,” he explained.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo said the transmission throughout the Essequibo Coast and even further was also part of government’s commitment to all Guyanese. It is also a specific pronouncement, he noted, made by His Excellency President David Granger, that there should be a radio station in the capital of each region. “We are signalling to Essequibo that we are keeping our promise; we have said we will give you radio service and this is part of that service called the public broadcasting service which is a regional broadcasting service that has now reached throughout Guyana.”

As phase one of the project wrapped up, the Prime Minister assured phase two will be underway soon, and that His Excellency President David Granger will be part of it.
“This is phase one, we do not have a studio as yet and therefore the commissioning of a studio at Anna Regina for two-way programming would come at a later time,” the Prime Minister explained.

The project, which cost more than GY$12M, will serve approximately 46 thousand people.
Among those persons present at the launch today were: Minister of Business, Hon. Haimraj Rajkumar; Chairman and CEO of NCN, Enrico Woolford; Director Responsible for Regional Radio, Kamal Persaud; Region Two Executive Officer (REO), Denis Jaikaran, Chairman, Communication Specialist, Dr Rovin Deodat; and Director of the Department of Public Information, Imran Khan. (DPI)