Dear Editor,
I support the four-month suspension of Channel Six.
Freedom of expression does not mean there could be unbridled utterances. The countries which are considered the bastions of freedom, including USA, Canada, and Britain – have strict standards on what can and cannot be published and expressed publicly. The Broadcasting Standards of New Zealand, for example, ensure that “standards of good taste and decency” are not breached.
Freedom of expression is not declared as an absolute. The freedom to swing one’s arm ends where it makes contact with one’s neighbour’s nose. Broadcasting standards dictate that ultimately there cannot be complete freedom of expression. There must be limits, and common sense should apply.
CN Sharma and others have abused freedom of expression in Guyana. Though Mr Sharma and the Channel 6 should be commended for being a voice of ordinary Guyanese, this is not a licence to spew hate, whip up frenzy, or allow the media to be used as a tool for threat.
It is absolutely shocking to see and hear what transpires over the airwaves in Guyana. It is unconscionable to see the type of racial (and sometimes religious) hatred that is spawned in the country by television talk show hosts. It is unfortunate that politicians and civic leaders have become so used to this “norm” that this abomination goes on without anyone batting an eye.
The Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB) should flex its muscles and enforce standards of decency and respect in the airwaves. I trust that the ACB will do its job and see that broadcasting standards are respected. Failure to do so may risk running the country into stark anarchy.
Yours faithfully,
Devanand Bhagwan
