The government through the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) has an obligation to say publicly who has been allocated what frequency in this country and how, according to broadcaster Enrico Woolford.
Woolford said the frequency is a public resource which the government has repeatedly said is scarce and hence the allocations should be made public.
With the announcement of a proposed television station for the Inter Religious Organization (IRO) an obvious question is how the frequency would be allocated. This, Woolford said, is important because of the reports of scarcity.
“It cannot be a top secret affair except in instances where a frequency is allocated for national security endeavours such as the coastguard and or the police,” he stated.
Stabroek News contacted the NMFU but its head Valmikki Singh was unavailable for a comment yesterday; his office promised to return a call.
President Bharrat Jagdeo met representatives of the religious community last month to continue discussions on establishing an inter-faith religious television station that will only broadcast religious programmes. A press statement said the discussions have been ongoing for six years now but that Jagdeo plans to have the project realised within the next three months.
Religious leaders said they appreciated the initiative and agreed to the setting up of a board of directors comprising persons from several umbrella bodies. “The model proposed would see an equitable distribution of air time amongst the various bodies,” the release said.
In response to a question about the approximate cost of the project, the president said various specifications are being considered to determine suitability as the intention is for coverage to be as expansive as possible. He also used the opportunity to encourage the leaders to continue to work for peace and harmony and to repudiate any attempts made by persons to incite racial tension, as the country prepares for regional and national elections.
Woolford said frequency allocations outside of the known broadcasters have been made to individuals and or companies very quietly. He pointed out that frequencies are owned by unknown persons and recalled his own experience with the frequency on Channel 34 which was allocated to him some time ago. He pointed out that another frequency in proximity was interrupting and to date, he has not been told who owns the frequency on Channel 40 which was interrupting.
He raised the issue of telecommunication companies saying that no information has been made available with respect to the fees the companies pay for the frequency and or how often the agreements are renewed.
Woolford likened the country’s frequency to an economic frontier saying that every allocation ought to be made public and that people should know how the allocation was made. “It’s like a piece of land,” he said of the frequency.
