Guyana National Broadcast authority begins operations

The Guyana Broadcast Authority (GNBA) is moving swiftly to get its business done under the new broadcast act.
GNBA Chairperson Bibi Shaddick said the board of directors has met twice since the establishment of the authority, and the organisation has been sensitising broadcasters of their role under the new act.
Current broadcasters have been given the greenlight to continue their operations, but had to first apply for new licences in 2013, which falls under the new broadcast act.
Shaddick told media operatives on Wednesday that during the first meeting, the board was briefed about the act and had discussions relating to the implementation of it.
The GNBA chairperson said under the act, the licence for each broadcaster will be divided into two parts. This includes a licence for spectrum and a licence to broadcast. “So licences from 2013 would be issued under the act… and because there are certain things that have to be put in place, a broadcaster now, would have to be a company or a trust, you can’t be a single individual,” Shaddick told media operatives.
Composition
There are also certain other conditions that the directors of the company will have to follow. That is, for every broadcaster, 51 per cent of the management team must constitute Guyanese nationals. Provisions for Caricom nationals are also in place, but this is limited and would have to be scrutinised.
Shaddick said that audited financial reports will also have to be submitted in the application, since a percentage of the gross revenue from each broadcaster will have to go towards the smooth functioning of the authority.
Shaddick said broadcasters will be given some time to get all of their documents in order, and the GNBA will start looking at applications from January next year.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, the board agreed that licences could be granted for as long as 10 years. The GNBA chair noted that such a decision could be made, but will depend on the business plan submitted by each broadcaster. The importance of making a transition from analogue to digital is one of the criteria that could qualify the longevity of the licence issued to a broadcaster.
She noted that despite there were some applicants awaiting approval for five or more years, they too will have to submit a new application under the new act. She also clarified that the 10 businesses that were granted radio licences earlier in the year, were given that way before the act came into play. The GNBA is looking to set up mechanisms to train employees of broadcast entities, notably, technical staff.
The authority will soon advertise for interested and qualified persons to apply for the post of chief executive officer. They are hoping to attract a highly competent individual with qualifications at the master’s or PhD level, with experience in the field
The GNBA was established following the passing of the Broadcast Act of 2011. The body is responsible for monitoring the operations of all broadcasting radio and television stations in the countrywide.