A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has nominated University of Guyana lecturer Sherwood Lowe as its representative on the Broadcast Authority, subsequent to the passage of the Broadcast Bill in June 2011 without the support of the PNCR, the main opposition party at the time.
The nomination follows the announcement by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, shortly before the elections of November 2011, of a number of individuals and entities to which radio and television licences had been granted.
Nominee of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Sherwood Lowe said he preferred not to comment on the modalities that should guide the process of giving out radio and television licences.
He was asked whether he thought the licences granted by former President Bharrat Jagdeo should be rescinded, and in response he said the question should be directed to the persons with authorisation within the grouping of the parties. He was just ‘a servant’ in this regard, he said.
However, he said that he was not clear whether the government would act in conformity with the present legislation or come up with something new as a result of the talks between government and opposition.
Lowe said that his nomination likely came as a result of the fact that he served on the Hoyte-Jagdeo Broadcast Committee.
The Broadcast Act envisages the establishment of the National Broadcast Authority with a Governing Board, which will comprise not less than four and not more than seven persons, one of whom shall be its Chairperson.
The Authority will be responsible among other things for establishing classes of licences, the issuing of licences for terms not exceeding ten years and for the suspension and revocation of licences.
