Dear Editor,
When the Government of Guyana pulled government ads from the Stabroek News two years ago, they indicated that this decision was based on economic grounds. They argued that they got better responses and they pointed to circulation considerations. The representative body for the private sector in Guyana did not buy the argument and went as far as calling on its members to support the Stabroek News.
Now we have a most perplexing situation. Recently, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and another state entity placed advertisements in the Guyana Times newspaper which is now seen as a pro-government newspaper. The said newspaper also receives advertisements from a small group of advertisers – GT&T, DIGICEL, GBTI and Republic Bank, along with some private advertisers BK International and Mike’s Pharmacy.
It is interesting that these private companies are advertising so heavily in a newspaper which has not yet established any meaningful circulation. So just what are the marketing considerations that lie behind especially the two telephone and banks advertising so regularly in the Guyana Times? Just what benefits and returns will these companies derive from advertising in a newspaper without any significant circulation? It seems to me that the argument cannot be made that these companies will reach a large segment of the Guyanese population by placing ads in the newspaper at this early stage.
Of course, because the Guyana Times is perceived as pro-government some companies may feel that it is in their interest to advertise is such a newspaper. I am sure however that this is not the case in relation to the companies and entities mentioned above. So just what are the reasons? The answer to that question can help assess the degree of economic freedom that exists in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Salman Safee
Simple answer…
If the party people have shares in the paper, that paper WILL GET ADS.
VERY VERY SIMPLEl
Now everyone understands that the taking away of the advertisements from Stabnews was the governments way of punishing them.
Firstly, let me say that I doubt whether GT&T, Digicel and the banks have shares in the Guyana Times. There are a large number of people in Guyana who are pro-PPP, and if the Guyana Times is seen as a pro-Government newspaper, these people would certainly buy the paper. The commercial entities would want to target this segment of the readers, so they would place their ads there.
In respect of Guyana’s now budding online television, it seems as if Guyanese can only access this medium if they agree to dip their hands into their pockets. I have noticed that CNS6 is now streaming through Jump TV which requires people to pay. I can understand this with CNS 6. Maybe, they are trying the make up for lost revenue. However, I have been following the online radio and television development in the Caribbean for over 2 years now. It is now picking up in Guyana, but it has been in existence in Trinidad for quite some time. When online radio and television first started off in TT, all the broadcaster demanded some sort of pay to access their programmes, and this includes 103FM, WINTV and many more. However, only a few people supported them, and they had to abandon their demands for pay. They then became more competitive and went after the business community. Today, WINTV, IBN and most of the online broadcasters of TT are viable business entities, operating out of TT and are supported primarily by advertising dollars.
Why does Guyanese have to pay to watch NCN online? How much money are they making from subscribers in this way? Enough to make it worthwhile and to keep thousands of Guyanese in the Diaspora locked out. Look, we do not pay to watch BBC, CBS, CNN, NBC online, why pay to watch….. A lot of ordinary Guyanese do not even have a credit card, and if they do, they would thing twice to put it online to watch NCN. I think that Guyana stands to gain more by making NCN available to the general public. It is a marvelous opportunity for the Government of Guyanese to sell Guyana abroad. NCN and others must not capitalize on Guyanese abroad who wants to know what is going on at home. There are enough businesses in Guyana that you can generate revenues from to support your venture.
I am trying to get in touch with Little Rock of New Amsterdam, and Mr. Omar Sharif and his son Junior of Cnannel 16, BV, ECD. I am willing to make my little knowledge in online streaming available at no cost to these people. They are doing a very good work for their respective community, and I am no stranger to them.
Infact, I am thinking about investing in a couple of video camcorders and send it to my relatives home. This is the new revolution to touch Guyana shortly.
Rgds,
Red Lion
Reading messages like this from Mainlandweb.com gives one such a positive uplift.
It is so nice not to have to read dreadful news about Fineman’s latest slaughter. Instead technical issues like these can find space to be aired.
I get the feeling that Guyana is trying to embrace the IT and Internet revolution and dialogues such as these from Mainlandweb.com are certainly pointing in the right direction.
Rome was not built in a day, but brick-by-brick over a considerable time.
Best wishes and good luck…
I am unable to correct a couple error with my grammer that I just realized. Second sentence should have stated, “….a large number of Guyanese”
Sorry.
RL
Be quiet. This has nothing to do with the party. Its the Preisdent’s friend. Buddy’s, The Guy who recently got 500,000 acres of our forest. Mariot, CGX.
We all know who makes the decision here. Nobody acts unless they gey the green light from the Commandate.
Economic grounds? Stop deluding yourself. Most things in Guyana are done on the basis of political/racial grounds, including the Guytimes- Govt ad thingy.
Irreverend, I agree with you. Racism and corruption is the norm in Guyana. It is just a matter of through whose eye you see it. I can recall living next door to St Gabriel’s Primary School in Queenstown, Georgetown, and my daughter could not attend that school, but students from places like Sophia and far off villages were coming there everyday. The Head Mistress of the school told me that there was no furniture in the school, which I offered to provide. I went to the Ministry of Education and spoke to Hydarally, and Dale Bisnauth who was Minister at that time, but they said that they had to go by what the Head Mistress of the school said. There are hundred of stories like this at all the various Government Ministries.
This nonsense of people living along the East Coast and West Coast and bringing their children everyday to Primary Schools in Georgetown must stop. So too are people coming to Georgetown to do their banking only to be robbed
Red Lion
The times will replace the “Chronic” paper as the official paper for the govt by the govt, Guyanese are not stupid …. a prominent lawyer once remarked that the judiciary is predictable when handling certain court matters in Guyana………likewise the Times will be predictable
There are video reporters in Guyana doing documentaries and just trying to promote themselves. They just drive here and there and take shots. They have to dedicate more time and focus on the issues in more details – from a starting point to a finishing point. Vivid imagination: We need to see documentaries of a bulb lighting up in a kitchen at 4 o’ clock in the morning, then the sound of cups and plate start knocking – yes a woman in a kitchen preparing food for her husband to go to the sugar cane fields to cut cane. The husband later returns home and pick up a net and go back to the trenches to get some fishes, riding a “big-ben” bicycle with no brakes, but instead he would put his heels against the tire to stop it. This is how my family once lived (tears).
We need to see documentaries of a man picking up a 175hp Yamaha outboard engine and throw it on his shoulder and walk for 1 mile to the ocean shores and struggle through waist high water to a boat tied to a bamboo, then go out in the ocean all day.
We need to see how they live when they get their money…….rum.
It is not a one day business, but if you love what you are doing, you would not worry about the time or the money.
Red Lion