US human rights report says radio licences lacked transparency

The US government has said that there was a lack of transparency in the granting of 10 radio licences which were issued in 2011 by former President Bharrat Jagdeo shortly before he demitted office.

“In 2011 the government approved applications for 10 new radio stations, although the process was controversial, lacked transparency, and contained further steps needed before the new stations could begin broadcasting,” the US State Department said in its report on Guyana for its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012.

The report said that for the period under review, the government controlled most radio stations,