Dear Editor,
As a resident of Berbice I am concerned about television in my county. It is disturbing to read the article in the August 18 edition of your paper (‘Jagdeo halts NCN channel 21 broadcast’), and to realize that the administration is displaying behaviour that is biased and unfair to CN Sharma and the people of Berbice.
I agree with Mr Sharma who stated in his letter on Tuesday (‘NCN is operating a second channel in Berbice…’ SN, August 17), that the people of Berbice have the right to choose and the right to have that choice made available to them.
Why does the government have to take almost ten years to extend the signal of CNS Channel 6? Mr Sharma is not asking for another station; he is only asking for his signal to be extended and relayed. This facility has been given to the national television. Is this what government means when officials urge persons to invest in Guyana? Here is a local businessman who has invested his money and talent in building a thriving business, and who now wants to extend and expand that business, and the government is denying him that right.
What is it that the PPP/C fears – that Sharma will take away their support in Berbice?
What prevents CN, who ranks with Tony Vieira and Rex McKay as the pioneers of television in Guyana, from being granted leave to extend his signal? Is it because Mr Sharma has announced his intention to run once again in the national elections? Is it because the PPP/C fears that he will finally be allocated that parliamentary seat? The Minister of Information appears to be in a situation of conflict of interest.
Yours faithfully,
Edwin DeBarros
