President Donald Ramotar stressed government’s commitment to maintain press freedom gains as he delivered the feature address to mark the launch of Berbice’s first radio station on Saturday night, in Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam.
According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), President Ramotar congratulated the proprietors of Little Rock Radio 88.5FM, Rockcliffe and Pearl Christie for their “pioneering role” and multimillion dollar investment. Stating that he felt very comfortable with the ownership of the new station, President Ramotar said that radio must have a developmental role as Guyana is a developing country. He stressed however that while radio can be used for good purposes, it can also be used negatively.
The president referred to several key issues such as the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project, Budget cuts and the Anti-Money Laundering Bill which he said were adversely affected by the political opposition’s stance. He said that radio must be used to keep persons informed. “More information is needed to ensure persons are aware of the misinformation being spread by those who want to distort the truth,” Ramotar stated.
Deputy Mayor of New Amsterdam Harold Debydeen said that “self-motivated and self-confident” were the words, he would use to describe the owners of the new station. He urged them to not only be entertaining, but also educational, as he offered congratulations on behalf of all Berbicians.
President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce, Mark Roopnarine said that it was with great pride that he too congratulated the Christie family who he described as a “transformational force in the community.” He added that they are poised to take the Little Rock brand to greater heights in the community as they transform lives by educating and entertaining people through their programming.
GINA said that Region Six Chairman, David Armogan lauded the Christies’ pioneering efforts in various businesses throughout the years. The sharing of information, he noted, was vital and mentioned that events were often reported by various media before public officials responsible for the affected areas were even officially informed.
Giving a brief history of the Little Rock business operations, Naomi Christie, daughter of the proprietors, said that the company’s initial radio licence application dated back to the early 1990s, followed by a re-application in 1997. The radio station began tests on February 23, with feedback being garnered from the local listening audience. The station reaches the entire Berbice area and also extends to the East Coast of Demerara. It is also streamed online at www.885rockfm.listen2myradio.com/
The Little Rock Company began operating in the 1980s in Vryman’s Erven, with the Little Rock Hotel and Television Station – LRTVS (Channel Ten), the second-oldest TV station in the region, then expanded in 2005 with the Little Rock Suites on Main Street, New Amsterdam.
President Donald Ramotar (fifth from left) and staff of Little Rock Radio 88.5FM in New Amsterdam, Berbice (GINA photo)
