The main opposition PNCR has questioned the legitimacy of the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB), accusing the government of turning a temporary arrangement into a political tool.
At the party’s weekly press briefing, PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke told reporters that the 2003 Communiqué between President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition leader Robert Corbin had envisaged the ACB as an interim body that would be disbanded upon the establishment of the National Broadcasting Authority that was supposed to be set up under the proposed broadcast legislation. The government and the PNCR have traded accusations over the failure to implement the agreements of the Communiqué.
Noting the ACB’s recent issuance of warning letters to CNS Channel 6 over its airing of an “offensive” film as well as the broadcast of a programme that made “unsubstantiated” claims about incurable diseases, Clarke said the party does not recognise the ACB. “The issue here is the very existence of the ACB itself,” Clarke explained, “The PNCR is not aware that the ACB has been reconstituted.” He noted that although party leader Corbin, in a letter dated October 6, 2003, had called for such a reconstitution of the ACB, there was no response from the administration. “Yet suddenly it seems, without consultation with the PNCR, that a new ACB has come into being,” he added. Additionally, the party had withdrawn its representative.
Clarke said the administration must tell the nation how it arrived at the reconstitution of the ACB. “As is usual… they seem to have conveniently forgotten that commitment to bring broadcast legislation into being in a specific time frame,” he said, “Instead, it seems to be quite comfortable with using the existing ACB as a convenient political tool to harass its media critics and those who do not agree with its policies.”
In a letter dated April 20, 2009 and addressed to CNS Channel 6, ACB Chairman Evan Radhay Persaud said pastors of the programme ‘Universal Church Hour’ have been declaring that they can cure any incurable disease, including HIV/AIDS. “This is highly erroneous and destructive to the population of Guyana since some individuals will eschew from proper medical treatment hoping for a religious miracle (cure),” the ACB Chairman said, “It is the right of each and every Guyanese to be protected from such unsubstantiated statements and the responsibility of all television stations to play their part by broadcasting programmes of a higher standard.”
The ACB also warned CNS about its airing of ‘Papillon’ which contained violently graphic scenes, including one in which a man’s head was severed as well as scenes of topless women. It said the film offends against good taste and decency and is offensive to public feeling, while infringing 23A (a) of the station’s licence.
CNS Channel 6 has acknowledged the letters and “indicated that measures will be taken to ensure that the regulations of the ACB are complied with.”
