Prime Minister Sam Hinds said he was happy that President Bharrat Jagdeo and PNC REFORM leader, Desmond Hoyte have reached agreement as to the way forward on the amended wireless telegraphy regulations.

He said that the regulations would be reviewed to see how the amendments suggested by the committee could be incorporated into the regulations. However, the Prime Minister said that he would have to be advised by the lawyers as to how he proceeds.

President Jagdeo and Hoyte agreed on Thursday to accept the recommendations of the joint committee on radio monopoly and non-partisan boards. Those amendments include the establishment of a interim advisory committee to monitor adherence of the operators of television stations to the conditions under which their broadcast licences were issued.

The interim advisory committee under their terms of reference as suggested by the committee, and accepted by President Jagdeo and Hoyte, would, among other things, administer the approval of broadcast licences; monitor the adherence to or breach of broadcast standards by licensees; receive and investigate public opinion or complaints on broadcast standards and take appropriate action in cases of violations of the conditions after due process of investigation.

The terms of reference also provide for the interim advisory committee to maintain a working relationship with such bodies as established by the industry to enforce broadcast standards. The committee recommended, too, that until new broadcast legislation is enacted any regulation of the industry should include, as an important aspect, the strengthening of mechanisms for self regulation by licence holders as the primary mechanism for industry monitoring of broadcast standards.

The interim regulations, the committee said, should assist in

weaning the licence holders into a more organised and regulated sector and that during this period, work should be done with them to improve their standards and conformity to acceptable broadcasting standards practiced throughout the democratic world.