Georgetown: Guyanese will now be able to play an integral role in ensuring broadcasters adhere to the guidelines in the Broadcasting Act of 2011 and its Amendments in 2017. This will be done through a pilot citizen monitoring programme launched by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) during a press conference.
GNBA’s Chairman, Leslie Sobers, who made the disclosure said the aim is to regulate, monitor, improve and maintain the highest standards of broadcasting in the country.
“From today, and by virtue of this citizen monitoring facility, the people will be able, in keeping with the Broadcasting Act, to draw to the attention of the authority the shortcomings and infractions committed by our broadcasters and also to indicate whether, in various broadcast operational zone, citizens are receiving unhindered access to information,” Sobers stated.
One of the Directors of the Authority, Dr. Rovin Deodat, explained that during the pilot phase, citizens will not be aware of all the infractions. He, however, highlighted they will be required to look for the most obvious ones.
“Some of the things they will be required to be on the lookout for,” Dr. Deodat said, “are things like obscene language, nudity where it is supposed to be shown within a certain period of time, things like distasteful language and images, sometimes you find even in educational programmes, you have diseased limbs being left for too long at a period when children might be looking.”
The pilot phase will run for six months, after which an assessment will be conducted. The most capable citizens will be selected and will undergo in-depth training. Additionally, Dr. Deodat said all complaints will be treated with the same degree of seriousness as those reported by the authority’s monitoring employees.
Persons interested in volunteering can access the application forms on the authority’s website at www.gnba.gov.gy. GNBA will also be rolling out several other programmes which forms part of their strategic plan.
The Citizen Monitoring Programme forms part of the GNBA’s mandate to regulate, monitor, protect, improve and maintain the highest standards of broadcasting in Guyana.
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