Reporters Without Borders calls on President not to sign broadcast law
-dialogue with stakeholders urged
Two international press freedom organisations yesterday piled pressure on the APNU+AFC administration over the contentious Broadcast (Amendment) Bill which has raised fears here among local operators about whether their licences will be renewed and over mandatory public service programmes.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on President David Granger not to assent to the bill which was passed on Friday after a marathon debate while the International Press Institute (IPI) called on the government to review the proposed law in consultation with local stakeholders.
Yesterday’s statements were the first instance the watchdog bodies have challenged the 27-monthold government and it could have repercussions on the country’s ranking as it relates to press freedom.
Urging the President not to assent to the bill, RSF also called for consultations with broadcasters in order to take into account their recommendations. It said that the current Bill which was adopted without such consultation raises multiple press freedom concerns.
RSF noted that the Bill calls for all broadcasters to apply for a licence within 30 days of its entry into force, a time limit that is being criticized by local and regional press freedom groups as too short. Broadcasters found operating without a licence could be fined up to $1m and sentenced to one year imprisonment. RSF said that according to local press freedom advocates, these provisions threaten the existence of many TV and radio stations.
RSF, a 32-year-old nonprofit, non-governmental organisation that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press, said that another point of contention is a provision mandating that 60 minutes of “public service programmes” be broadcast daily on TV and radio stations between the hours of 6am and 10pm free of cost which it pointed out had been criticised by the Guyana Press Association.
RSF said that what was “most worrying” about the Bill is its process of adoption, which involved no consultations with any broadcasters, even though repeated attempts were made to meet with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo both leading up to and during parliamentary debate last week. It noted that Nagamootoo claimed that broadcasters were consulted in 2011 when the original Bill was drafted, but the legislation adopted last Friday involved several amendments for which broadcasters were never asked to provide their input.
“It would appear that the legislative process in Guyana failed to adequately address broadcasters’ concerns regarding a new law that would impact their day-to-day operations and could even threaten their existence,” said Margaux Ewen, Advocacy and Communications Director for RSF’s North America Bureau said in the statement. “RSF urges President Granger not to assent to this legislation until these concerns can be addressed through meaningful consultation”, she stated.
RSF noted that Guyana ranks 60th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
IPI, a global network of journalists, editors and media executives dedicated to media freedom said that the government should address serious concerns raised by local media groups over the pending amendments.
IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis called on the Guyanese government to address criticism regarding the amendments before they become law.
“We are troubled that this bill appears to have been drafted and passed without time for sufficient consultation with all relevant stakeholders, including Guyana’s private broadcasters and local civil society groups,” Ellis said. “Elements of this legislation – in particular provisions related to the broadcasting of public service content – also raise questions about the government’s commitment to ensuring that Guyanese radio and television stations can operate independently from state and political control. We urge lawmakers to address those questions and revise these amendments as necessary.”
The Vienna, Austriabased IPI noted that concerns over broadcasting freedom in Guyana are not new.
“The Guyanese government exercised a complete radio monopoly until 2011, and critical television broadcasters were consistently denied broadcast licenses during much of the PPP’s 23-year rule from 1992 to 2015. During a 2013 visit to Guyana, IPI urged the government to ensure that the granting of television and radio licenses under the newly introduced Broadcasting Act be conducted in a transparent and impartial manner”, IPI said.