Guyana Chronicle
May 25, 2001

THE main Opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) yesterday reacted sharply to the government's plan to get TV stations to comply with certain standards, accusing it of "bad faith".

In a statement, the PNC/R claimed the government intends to "crack down" on private broadcasting, charging this was "a clear example of their duplicity, hypocrisy, and bad faith."

It said the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had agreed to hold talks with the PNC/R on matters related to broadcasting and the regulation of broadcast frequencies and the role of the state in broadcasting.

The Opposition party argued that while President Bharrat Jagdeo "had agreed to establish a joint committee to propose action to regulate these matters and his nominees have been uttering pious platitudes on the need to maintain freedom of the press and to have similar standards in state and private broadcasting, his henchmen have been doing all that they could to derail the talks and to intensify PPP/C abuse of the state media in this country."

The government Wednesday declared it is not prepared to allow the unregulated use of the airwaves to continue and is inviting owners of TV stations for talks on licensing and regulating their operations.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds, acting in his capacity as Minister of Communications, announced that he is inviting all owners of television broadcasting stations to meet him on Monday to discuss the matter.

In a statement, he said the government remains committed to accelerating the process of implementing new broadcast legislation.

"In the present circumstances, however, (the) government is not prepared to allow the unregulated use of the airwaves to continue", he said.

Mr. Hinds said the government will therefore apply the current provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act and Wireless Telegraphy Regulations "until such time as an appropriate, broad-based Commission on Broadcasting is established to publicly consult and recommend the introduction of new broadcasting law."

He added that all television broadcasters are being invited to immediately apply for licences.

This licence will include terms and conditions governing both the technical standards and the content of the broadcast programme material.

But the PNC/R claimed the Prime Minister's statement "is a clear indication by the governing party that it intends to muzzle all broadcasting which is critical of their bad governance and to harass those stations which habitually reveal the corruption and misadministration of the regime."

"We have also observed that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Prem Misir, has abandoned all pretence to being a technician or public servant and has taken to the press to argue for the PPP/C on matters which are being discussed in the joint committee", the PNC/R said.

It felt that these actions signal the intention by the government to derail the joint talks and proceed with business as usual.

The PNC/R claimed the government was violating the rights and freedoms of some sections of the broadcast media and wants to intensify abuse of the state media.

It said it remained committed to the process of negotiation.

"We have entered these talks in good faith and with the intention of honouring our obligations to the citizens of this country", the PNC/R said, adding that it hoped the government "has calculated carefully the likely consequences of derailing the process of reconciliation and dialogue."

President Jagdeo and PNC/R and Opposition Leader, Mr. Desmond Hoyte have had several rounds of talks on a range of issues, including the need for broadcast legislation and a committee is looking at this and related matters.

In his statement Wednesday, the Prime Minister said he also intends to establish a broad-based committee to advise him on whether the content of programmes broadcast are adhering to the guidelines of the Media Code of Conduct drawn up for the March 19 elections.

Observers, including regional and international media consultants, have said that some TV stations here have been openly flouting internationally accepted standards of broadcasting, especially in the run-up to and since the March elections.

Some TV talk show hosts have been accused of stirring violence and racism.

The Prime Minister noted that television broadcasters came to Guyana at the end of the 1980's in a "somewhat informal improvised manner."

"For various periods of time, a number of television broadcasters applied for and were granted licences under the Post and Telegraph Act Chapter 47:01, being required to operate in accordance with the Wireless Telegraphy Regulations made under Section 63(5) of the Act", he noted.

He recalled that the government has sought to obtain public consensus on the introduction of new legislation specifically for broadcasting to the public.

He noted that the Independent Media Monitoring and Refereeing Panel, convened by the media for the purpose of monitoring compliance with a Media Code of Conduct established by the media for reporting during the elections period, concluded that certain television broadcasting stations "pushed the limits of irresponsibility to dangerous and incendiary levels".

The Prime Minister recalled that the panel concluded that most media outlets "ignored the guidelines to the Media Code of Conduct."

He pointed out that the media panel, supported by the reports of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Media Monitoring Unit, concluded that:

"The complete lack of regulation of television has led to a situation where the linking of broadcast licences to the need for community responsibility is completely absent in Guyana."

The media panel emphasised "the urgent need to enact new broadcasting legislation that would ensure that those who use our airwaves are held to certain standards of community service and professional behaviour", Mr. Hinds added.