Members of the Youth Coalition for Transformation (YCT) yesterday held a protest outside the National Communications Network (NCN) on Homestretch Avenue, voicing concerns over the absence of “fair and balanced” coverage and the government’s radio monopoly.
When Stabroek News visited the gathering in front of the NCN premises, the protesters expressed concerns over the imbalance in NCN coverage.
Jermaine Grant, President of the YCT, said that the picketing was aimed at the “biased reporting by NCN that speaks to the politicization of NCN by the ruling party.”
He added that members of the YCT – the APNU youth group – were staging the peaceful protest to highlight the need for fair access by opposition political parties to the state facility. Grant also said that NCN should bring an end to the monopolization of the radio station, adding that it is the constitutional right of a citizen to freedom of information.
Concerns were also raised by the protesters that the people of Region Ten did not have access to other channels besides NCN.
One man said that “This is a breach of the constitutional rights to the freedom of information, with no access to alternative forms of information other than NCN and Government programmes.”
Heston Bostwick, another YCT member, also agreed with the concerns raised by Grant who said that there should be a variety of channels that the people of Region Ten can access.
”I have relatives in Linden and sometimes when I tell them about incidents which happen outside of Linden it is like news to them, because they can’t view no other channel other than NCN.”
The man highlighted that “NCN should not play monopoly with Guyanese people… it is guaranteed in the constitution that you should have the freedom of expression and the freedom of information… we are saying that it is time that NCN bring a total end to the violation of any and every article of the constitution and it must first start with the government…”
The protest lasted for several hours and the picketers said that they would continue to mobilize until viewers are granted fair and balanced coverage.
