…investigation launched into corruption allegations against two board members
Leonard Craig
The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is seeking to regularise all cable broadcasters and to have them take necessary steps to become fully compliant with the existing legal framework.
This is according to GNBA Chairman Leonard Craig, who in a statement on Wednesday said that one necessary step for full compliance is for all cable broadcasters to enter into a settlement agreement with the GNBA to pay all required fees with respect to the period during which they were unregularised.
“It was agreed that the Chairman of the Legal, Fees and Other Matters Committee led a meeting with unregularised cable broadcasters on the Essequibo Coast to arrive at a negotiated settlement only with respect to payment of fees up to the end of 2016,” Craig said.
These operators, he said, are expected to (re)apply for licences to operate in 2017 and beyond.
The GNBA Chairman said separate meetings were held with both entities that were currently operating on the Essequibo Coast and following the rounds of meetings, Charles, a cable broadcaster, asked for a meeting with him.
GNBA slothfulness
Meanwhile, Craig also used the opportunity to respond to criticism about the “slothfulness” of the Board.
According to Craig, “I wish to admit that our work is not as advanced as I had envisaged it should have been at this juncture.”
He, however, sought to explain, saying that this state of affairs was attributable to the fact that when “we assumed office, the Authority was a far cry from what a regulator of this nature should be”.
“As much as there was a regulator in place, the broadcasting landscape remained largely unregulated; weak administrative and compliance structures existed… As such, through its various committees, we set out to build an Authority literally from scratch.”
Craig added that he understood the impatience of those who have applied to become broadcasters, but wished to assure those applicants and the general public that he shared this burden and was working hard to guide the Board in the direction of reviewing all existing licences and grant new ones in time for January 2017.
Investigations
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Craig, in a public statement said the GNBA has launched an investigation into an allegation that two members of the Board attempted to persuade, Kenwin Charles of Northwest TV Inc into selling his operations.
According to Craig, Charles pointed out that the two members attempted to improperly force him out of doing business on the Essequibo Coast where he had made significant capital investments.
He has since confirmed too that at the meeting with Charles, he indicated that he met with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and a similar complaint was lodged.
“I gave him every assurance that his matter will be given urgent consideration and that I will address this matter with the Board as soon as he makes a formal written complaint.”
According to Craig, “If indeed his allegations can be substantiated, it will constitute a major blow on the integrity of those members concerned.”
“I will carry out a complete investigation of the facts relating to matters raised by Mr Charles, I will review the reports of the meetings, elicit a response from the members concerned and will release an official statement in the coming days,” he said.
