Channel Six TV station 'hauled off' the air in Guyana

Buxtonians voice their concerns to President Jagdeo
during a visit to the village

by Norman 'Gus' Thomas
Caribbean Net News Senior Correspondent

Monday, January 24, 2005

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: One of Guyana's most popular television stations was "hauled off" the air when, at approximately 9.30 pm on Saturday, a phalanx of heavily armed police, led by a unidentified government functionary, arrived at the Robb and Wellington Street premises of Chandra Narine Sharma who owns the broadcast facility, and served an order on the staff who were present at the time.

The police, when contacted, told Caribbean Net News that the television station was airing “inflammatory” programmes even though it had been given several warnings.

A statement coming from Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, said the government regretted that “it has become necessary to suspend the Television Broadcasting Station Licence issued to CNS Channel 6 for one month. Over the last month, particularly over Friday 14 to Monday 17 January, Regions 3, 4 and 5 have received exceptionally high rainfall, the highest for over a hundred years. The gravity of the floods moved President Jagdeo to declare these regions disaster areas”, Prime Minister Hinds said.

Hind went on to state that Sharman, who is the host of the popular `Voice of the People’ programme carried on CNS Channel, “have misrepresented the situation by portraying the government as being insensitive to the flood and to the suffering and losses caused to persons thereby.”

Hinds said the station “continually uttered inflammatory statements which would create an environment hostile to the relief effort and that are very likely to create public disorder despite calls for restraint from the Prime Minister.” 

Caribbean Net News understands that the licence granted to Sharma has been suspended with immediate effect and the police had indicated their instruction was to remove all of Sharma's transmission equipment when they raided Channel 6 on the weekend. However, after some persuasive talking from staff members, the lawmen decided to take only two transmitters. 

Meanwhile, villagers from the Buxton community have been harshly critical of the government, contending that attempts are being made to provide aid mostly for those of Indian descent leaving the Afro-Guyanese to fend for themselves. However, relief workers denied these claims.

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