April 8th, 2013 marked the 20th anniversary of Stabroek News’ first application for a radio licence and to date it has not been successful even though former president Bharrat Jagdeo’s administration handed out a clutch of licences in November 2011 to persons deemed close to him and his administration.
Stabroek News, which was established in 1986, first submitted an application for a radio licence on April 8, 1993 to the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU). Then Co-ordinator of the Unit, Keith Griffith, had replied on April 8, 1993 acknowledging the application and asking for the submission of the application in triplicate, which was subsequently done, and saying that the application would be receiving attention and that Stabroek News’ parent company Guyana Publications Limited (GPL) would be “advised accordingly”.
There was no further communication from the NFMU as it appeared by
