Guyana

Aa
$.-
After arbitrarily withdrawing advertising from Stabroek News for 17 months, the Guyana Government resumed the placement of advertisements with the newspaper in April, 2008. No explanation was provided for the resumption. It is widely believed that the withdrawal was aimed at punishing the newspaper for its editorial stance on governance improprieties. A protest was mounted by Stabroek News against the government’s action at a meeting in Georgetown of Commonwealth Finance Ministers on October 15, 2007. This protest was supported by the Guyana Press Association. The government controls a significant amount of advertising and this is an important source of revenue for media houses both private and state. Any sudden withdrawal can have a serious effect on the viability of the media house in question particularly in the context of difficult economic circumstances. On April 11, 2008, the government suspended the licence of CNS Channel 6 for the re-broadcasting of a remark by a caller that it said constituted a threat to the President. CNS Channel Six is a popular channel which has been severely critical of the government. The four-month suspension of the license was excessive and having the effect of attacking the station’s press freedom. The Channel resumed broadcasting at the end of the suspension but suffered a serious loss of revenue. The Government maintains a radio monopoly that it inherited from the previous government in 1992. New broadcasting legislation had been promised a long time ago to regulate the issuing and renewal of licences and to monitor broadcast standards and a government spokesman had said that private radio licences would then be issued, but nothing has been done. An Advisory Committee on Broadcasting was established to advise the minister on the issuance, suspension, and/ or termination of television broadcasting station licences (including termination of unlicensed broadcasts) but there is no evidence that it is working. An opposition member of parliament has tabled a Freedom of Information bill for consideration. The bill has so far not come up for debate and from all appearances is unlikely to win passage.

Share

0