Citizens demand end of NCN monopoly

Lindeners demand end of NCN monopoly

Lindeners will be pressing their demands for access to more electronic media, as they appeal for an end to the monopoly held by the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN).
The Lindeners who are expected to join up with their counterparts in protests, say the time has come for an end to their bombardment with only biased programmes produced by the state-owned media entity.
Gerald Whittington, who was among a group from the bauxite mining town, who were intercepted on their way to the city yesterday by police at Providence, East Bank Demerara, said that Lindeners must be given choices when it comes to information through the media.
“If seventy-five percent of the people voted for APNU in Linden, that means we must have choices to see any other TV station, it is not fair to the people of Linden,” Whittington said.
He added that for 19 years, the ruling party has denied them their right to choices, although the court had ruled that the NCN monopoly should end.
The previous government appeared to be reluctant to fast track legislation that would lead to the opening up of the national airwaves to accommodate more radio and television stations in Linden.
According to the Lindeners, even issues that are affecting them are shut out from publicity, especially when it is not in favour of the government.
They claimed that even if the news is reported, it is slanted in such a way that would omit truthful information that exposed the inefficiency of the administration.
They complained that all through the recent elections campaign, they were bombarded with advertisements of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic through the state-owned NCN.
“Imagine all we hearing was ‘in my cup, in my cup’, nothing about Granger or APNU,” Whittington said, adding that it is remarkable that a Partnership for National Unity did so well in Region Ten.
“We did our groundwork. We had to, because APNU did not have ready media access to its supporters in Linden,” another resident stated.
“You guys here would see any channel you need to see in Georgetown, we don’t have that luxury in Linden…we must have choices, we must have a say in our lives,” Whittington stressed