Talk radio in the Cayman Islands under fire
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: The Leader of
Government Business, McKeeva Bush, criticized local radio talk shows during
his address at the 2004 opening of the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly
last Friday, claiming they were not impartial.
Mr Bush strayed from the text of his speech
to make the critical remarks about radio call-in talk shows. "During my time
as Leader of Government Business, I have opened up new opportunities for our
people to contribute to our political discourse and comment on our
Government's policies," he said. "This has meant being more transparent and
open than we have ever been before.
"Inevitably such openness can encourage
criticism of Government, but that is the nature of a mature democracy. We
should not be afraid of responsible debate and constructive engagement, and I
am proud that we now have the most open civil society, ever enjoyed in the
Cayman Islands.
"Although I must add that the open radio
shows are still not as educational or impartial as they should be," he said.
The host of Radio Cayman's call-in show, Joel Francis, said the programmes
serve a purpose. "I think they're a useful barometer for the citizens and
representatives of the country to get a measure of what some of the issues are
with the people, both positive and negative."
Rooster 101's Barrie Quappe, the host of
Cayman's other call-in radio show, agreed with the first part of Mr Bush's
statement. "I think the Minister is quite correct that the open dialogue has
increased with the introduction of talk shows, and I'd like to see more."
Mrs Quappe disagreed, however, with the notion that her programme was biased.
"We've never had any interference from management," she said. "Some have
attempted to, but not succeeded, and our lines are always open to everyone."
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