GNBA dismisses claims of partisanship, gov’t influence

DPI Guyana, December 20, 2019

Chairman of the National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Leslie Sobers has dismissed claims by the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo that the agency is partisan and is levelling attacks on a particular radio station.

“To take my statements and apply them to Freedom Radio as though it is an indication that we are going in the election period to take people off the air who are sympathetic to a particular political party is quite fallacious. I have not heard such fallacy in a long time,” told media operatives during a press briefing on Friday.

Sobers made it clear that the broadcasting authority was unbiased and in no way influenced by the government when discharging its mandate, which is to regulate, monitor, protect, improve and maintain the highest standards of broadcasting in the country.

He recalled that it was under the opposition leader’s management six frequencies were assigned to Freedom Radio alone, which was described as ‘incestuous’ since he [the opposition leader] was on record saying that the PPP owned the radio station.

During that time, six frequencies were also distributed to one of the former ministers who later sold them, and another six to a friend.

Sobers said the GNBA board has since retrieved nine of those frequencies and made them available to other interested persons.

“Here you are accusing a person who is trying to do his work of being partisan because you want to be able to have carte blanche freedom to do what you want and say disparaging things about people whenever and wherever… I want to make it very clear to this nation that GNBA has no such interest, but what we do have interest in is the people of Guyana being entitled to and indrawing quality broadcasting, quality radio, quality television, quality cable.”

Sobers added that under his leadership, the GNBA had issued more broadcasting licenses than any other board. Currently, there are 20 radio broadcasters, 20 television broadcasters, and about 10 cable service providers.

“That is how we opened up the industry and we continue to look at ways in which to deal with it, “Sobers said.

He added that many of the radio stations, including Freedom Radio, were in violation of sections of the Broadcasting Act but the Authority was aware of the difficulties in acquiring specific equipment and so encouraged broadcasters to improve.

The GNBA is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing all television, cable and radio broadcasters in Guyana. It was set up in 2012 after the development of the 2011 Broadcasting Act.