'Violent criminals' in BTC protest crowd
By PACO NUNEZ
Tribune News Editor
MINISTER of National Security Tommy Turnquest revealed that according to police, several violent criminals were among the crowd that protested outside Parliament last week.
Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Turnquest said individuals known to police in connection with crimes as serious as murder, rape, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and shop-breaking were "clearly identifiable" in the anti-BTC sale demonstration in Rawson Square last Wednesday.
Speaking to The Tribune outside the House, Mr Turnquest said the majority of these persons are out on bail, but some of them are convicted criminals.
"We have the pictures, we know who they are," he said.
Mr Turnquest said he raised the issue after opposition PLP members suggested that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham "ran out the back door," attempting to avoid the crowd after last week's session of parliament.
Speaking in the House, the National Security Minister said: "If someone asks me, what do I do in terms of ensuring the safety of the chief executive of the country, it is surely not to walk toward that crowd."
He added that Mr Ingraham is the sort of man who would never ask another person to do something the Prime Minister would not do himself.
Immediately after Mr Turnquest made his comments, PLP MP for West End and Bimini Obie Wilchcombe told the House his party was not responsible for "any unsavoury characters" turning up in Rawson Square.
Mr Wilchcombe said: "At no time was it our intention to put the PM's life in jeopardy. We believe in freedom of speech and the right to assembly, but at no time would we put life in jeopardy."
The protest, organised by a group known as Save BTC for Bahamians, was also joined by BTC union representatives and a large group of PLP supporters.
In the aftermath of the protest, which turned violent at certain points, PLP leader Perry Christie denied reports that he had paid protesters to turn up in Rawson Square.
Last week, Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell also commented in the House of Assembly on claims that protesters were paid by the party to demonstrate.
"Aside from that being untrue, so what if they were paid?" he asked, referring to the practice during the PLP's early protests in the 1960s.
"To mobilise people takes resources: food, buses, and communication, emergency care to a name a few of the possible expenses.
"So let's not get distracted by that fact," Mr Mitchell said.
March 04, 2011
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Gun Court is still a pie in the sky
When will the gun court be ready?
thenassauguardian editorial
Late in January of this year, the government made a big announcement that in conjunction with the judiciary it had set up a gun court in a move to ensure that those found in possession of illegal firearms are quickly prosecuted.
Attorney General John Delaney, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest,Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force all attended the news conference, which was held after a meeting with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on gun crime.
According to police data, guns were used in 69 out of the 94 homicides recorded in 2010. Out of 17 homicides recorded so far for the year, 14 involved guns. Also last year, 351 illegal firearms and 6,224 rounds of ammunition were seized – an increase over the year before.
That announcement was made on Friday, January 28. Turnquest said that they expected suspects to appear before the court on that following Monday.
Just over four weeks later, The Nassau Guardian reported that while a magistrate had been designated for the speciality court, it still did not have a prosecutor.
And the magistrate who had been hearing the new gun cases has yet to complete any of those new gun cases.
In this space, following the announcement of the gun court, we commended the government for the court’s establishment as part of an overall strategy of driving down the high crime rate in the country.
Today we must ask if the news conference was simply a public relations exercise designed to help quiet the public’s outcry against the country’s troubling crime trends.
We saw a record-breaking murder count last year, and so far we are on pace to repeat that trend.
More than one month after the announcement, the new court is still not functioning in the way that it should.
The government is obviously making an effort to attack the problem of crime and the fear that it has created in our society; however, big news conferences attended by big names in the judiciary and the government need to be followed through with action and results.
There are a lot of illegal guns in this country.
And we still think that a gun court, if run properly and given the necessary resources, could help ensure that suspects are quickly prosecuted. This is an important part of any crime fighting strategy.
Results are not expected overnight, especially in a system that is beset with a significant case backlog. However, announcing the establishment of a court and that suspects would start appearing in a matter of days gives the distinct impression that the facility is ready to function.
This was obviously not the case.
The people deserve more than just lip service.
3/2/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
thenassauguardian editorial
Late in January of this year, the government made a big announcement that in conjunction with the judiciary it had set up a gun court in a move to ensure that those found in possession of illegal firearms are quickly prosecuted.
Attorney General John Delaney, Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest,Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade and senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force all attended the news conference, which was held after a meeting with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on gun crime.
According to police data, guns were used in 69 out of the 94 homicides recorded in 2010. Out of 17 homicides recorded so far for the year, 14 involved guns. Also last year, 351 illegal firearms and 6,224 rounds of ammunition were seized – an increase over the year before.
That announcement was made on Friday, January 28. Turnquest said that they expected suspects to appear before the court on that following Monday.
Just over four weeks later, The Nassau Guardian reported that while a magistrate had been designated for the speciality court, it still did not have a prosecutor.
And the magistrate who had been hearing the new gun cases has yet to complete any of those new gun cases.
In this space, following the announcement of the gun court, we commended the government for the court’s establishment as part of an overall strategy of driving down the high crime rate in the country.
Today we must ask if the news conference was simply a public relations exercise designed to help quiet the public’s outcry against the country’s troubling crime trends.
We saw a record-breaking murder count last year, and so far we are on pace to repeat that trend.
More than one month after the announcement, the new court is still not functioning in the way that it should.
The government is obviously making an effort to attack the problem of crime and the fear that it has created in our society; however, big news conferences attended by big names in the judiciary and the government need to be followed through with action and results.
There are a lot of illegal guns in this country.
And we still think that a gun court, if run properly and given the necessary resources, could help ensure that suspects are quickly prosecuted. This is an important part of any crime fighting strategy.
Results are not expected overnight, especially in a system that is beset with a significant case backlog. However, announcing the establishment of a court and that suspects would start appearing in a matter of days gives the distinct impression that the facility is ready to function.
This was obviously not the case.
The people deserve more than just lip service.
3/2/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Odd Protest against the Sale of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)
Protest against the sale of the BTC is odd
By RICK LOWE
ACCORDING to news reports, 800 to 1,000 people blocked Bay Street last week to protest the sale of BTC to Cable and Wireless/LIME and it all seems odd.
Some people were saying that rights are being violated by selling BTC. But what rights are being violated?
Yes, sometimes Mr. Ingraham can be brash, but does that mean he is uncaring, a dictator, or corrupt, or violating rights as alleged? It's doubtful.
Using emotive language and trying to rile people up as some are doing could violate rights for sure.
What the protesters are missing is BTC is not owned by Bahamians. That's an illusion. A political construct. It is owned by the Bahamas Government.
Over the years successive governments have led us down the garden path by wasting and borrowing beyond the country's ability to sustain, and the sale of BTC might help keep the Bahamian dollar stable and reduce some of the debt that we all have to pay one way or the other.
The Opposition seems shameless on this one, after trying to sell BTC themselves under similar circumstances to a company called Bluewater, now it would seem that some are trying to incite people.
Another turnabout by the Opposition was the Constitutional Referendum of 2002. Both parties agreed in principle in the House of Assembly, then one campaigned against it, confusing the electorate.
The latest reason not to sell is there are complaints about LIME posted on the Internet.
If you research every company in the world online it seems you will find bad comments. We survey some of our clients, and last quarter we had an 84 per cent approval rating (our goal is 85 per cent), but the one client that complained, really complained, bringing the results of all the good comments lower. Is that what is happening with CWC? We also find that often it's people with complaints that fill the survey out. Those that had no issues, do not take the time to respond.
Are there similar complaints about BTC going around on the Internet?
Could the government have been more open? No doubt. Both the FNM or PLP governments over the years could have been more open. Promises of a Freedom of Information Act have been made by each of them. Let's see who passes it into law. That might help with government transparency in the future.
There were apparently no dissenenters before BTC was sold, at least publicly. So why the dissent now? The government corporations should be sold if for nothing more than to get politics and politicians out of it.
All this protesting is odd. When you dig a little deeper unseemly politics appear to be at work?
March 01, 2011
tribune242
By RICK LOWE
ACCORDING to news reports, 800 to 1,000 people blocked Bay Street last week to protest the sale of BTC to Cable and Wireless/LIME and it all seems odd.
Some people were saying that rights are being violated by selling BTC. But what rights are being violated?
Yes, sometimes Mr. Ingraham can be brash, but does that mean he is uncaring, a dictator, or corrupt, or violating rights as alleged? It's doubtful.
Using emotive language and trying to rile people up as some are doing could violate rights for sure.
What the protesters are missing is BTC is not owned by Bahamians. That's an illusion. A political construct. It is owned by the Bahamas Government.
Over the years successive governments have led us down the garden path by wasting and borrowing beyond the country's ability to sustain, and the sale of BTC might help keep the Bahamian dollar stable and reduce some of the debt that we all have to pay one way or the other.
The Opposition seems shameless on this one, after trying to sell BTC themselves under similar circumstances to a company called Bluewater, now it would seem that some are trying to incite people.
Another turnabout by the Opposition was the Constitutional Referendum of 2002. Both parties agreed in principle in the House of Assembly, then one campaigned against it, confusing the electorate.
The latest reason not to sell is there are complaints about LIME posted on the Internet.
If you research every company in the world online it seems you will find bad comments. We survey some of our clients, and last quarter we had an 84 per cent approval rating (our goal is 85 per cent), but the one client that complained, really complained, bringing the results of all the good comments lower. Is that what is happening with CWC? We also find that often it's people with complaints that fill the survey out. Those that had no issues, do not take the time to respond.
Are there similar complaints about BTC going around on the Internet?
Could the government have been more open? No doubt. Both the FNM or PLP governments over the years could have been more open. Promises of a Freedom of Information Act have been made by each of them. Let's see who passes it into law. That might help with government transparency in the future.
There were apparently no dissenenters before BTC was sold, at least publicly. So why the dissent now? The government corporations should be sold if for nothing more than to get politics and politicians out of it.
All this protesting is odd. When you dig a little deeper unseemly politics appear to be at work?
March 01, 2011
tribune242
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
A Message From Branville McCartney - MP - Bamboo Town
A Message From MP McCartney
...That all elected officials may respond to the needs of their community and serve the common good – we pray to the Lord – Lord hear our prayer.
We are so very fortunate to be blessed by God with such a beautiful country and, indeed, for the most part, beautiful, kind, generous and God fearing people. I, just like so many other persons, am convinced that there is no other place in this world like the Bahamas! But what are we doing or not doing to our beloved country? Are we settling for mediocrity and accepting it as the best we have?
Are we letting politics get in the way? I have no doubt that The Bahamas ought to be more than a “Little Switzerland” in the Atlantic, but are we doing our part?
A few weeks ago, while at church, I listened intently to the intercessory prayer – “that all elected officials may respond to the needs of their community and serve the common good – we pray to the Lord – Lord hear our prayer”. This intercessory stuck in my mind and I wondered if our elected officials, including me, respond to the needs of their community. Now I take that to mean the community of the Bahamas and its welfare. For the most part, I think we respond, but in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. In my humble view, I think that we have become so polarized/political/partisan that we lose sight of what is the “common good” of the community; what is indeed the common good of The Bahamas and the Bahamian people. We tend to put PLP and the FNM and their respective colours before the people of the Bahamas. This should not be! We should be at a stage where we have moved beyond petty politics.
Now do not get me wrong, there is a time and a place for politics, but the interest and the welfare of the Bahamian people must be priority number one! I am not sure we, as politicians, appreciate this notion.
In Bamboo Town, my theme colour is the olive green – not red and white,not yellow, but the olive green. That colour signifies that I am extending the olive branch to all members of my constituency, inclusive of – FNMs, PLPs and ABCs. You see, if I were to have the FNM’s colours, the odds are, only the FNMs will participate in the many programs we have in the community. What then happens to those who are not FNM or those who do not vote, perhaps became of religious or other reasons? The idea, put simply, is for ALL to participate! It does not matter to me what political persuasion you are. I am the representative for all and my aim is for the common good. As a result, I have had the good fortune of persons of different political persuasions, and quite pleasantly surprisingly persons who do not participate in the political process for one reason or the other, join and assist in programs that we have in Bamboo Town. That is because we are about community not politics.
I do pray to the Almighty that we do not become like some of our neighbouring countries to the south where violence is the order of the day when it comes to politics. Let us not follow in their footsteps.
In my resignation statement, I said that I fear that we are going in the wrong direction politically. This is what I meant. It is time that we respond to the needs of our respective communities and serve the common good – Lord hear our prayer.
Taken from: REPRESENT!
Your voice in Bamboo Town
Vol. 1 Issue 15
January 2011 Edition
Bahamas Blog International
...That all elected officials may respond to the needs of their community and serve the common good – we pray to the Lord – Lord hear our prayer.
We are so very fortunate to be blessed by God with such a beautiful country and, indeed, for the most part, beautiful, kind, generous and God fearing people. I, just like so many other persons, am convinced that there is no other place in this world like the Bahamas! But what are we doing or not doing to our beloved country? Are we settling for mediocrity and accepting it as the best we have?
Are we letting politics get in the way? I have no doubt that The Bahamas ought to be more than a “Little Switzerland” in the Atlantic, but are we doing our part?
A few weeks ago, while at church, I listened intently to the intercessory prayer – “that all elected officials may respond to the needs of their community and serve the common good – we pray to the Lord – Lord hear our prayer”. This intercessory stuck in my mind and I wondered if our elected officials, including me, respond to the needs of their community. Now I take that to mean the community of the Bahamas and its welfare. For the most part, I think we respond, but in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. In my humble view, I think that we have become so polarized/political/partisan that we lose sight of what is the “common good” of the community; what is indeed the common good of The Bahamas and the Bahamian people. We tend to put PLP and the FNM and their respective colours before the people of the Bahamas. This should not be! We should be at a stage where we have moved beyond petty politics.
Now do not get me wrong, there is a time and a place for politics, but the interest and the welfare of the Bahamian people must be priority number one! I am not sure we, as politicians, appreciate this notion.
In Bamboo Town, my theme colour is the olive green – not red and white,not yellow, but the olive green. That colour signifies that I am extending the olive branch to all members of my constituency, inclusive of – FNMs, PLPs and ABCs. You see, if I were to have the FNM’s colours, the odds are, only the FNMs will participate in the many programs we have in the community. What then happens to those who are not FNM or those who do not vote, perhaps became of religious or other reasons? The idea, put simply, is for ALL to participate! It does not matter to me what political persuasion you are. I am the representative for all and my aim is for the common good. As a result, I have had the good fortune of persons of different political persuasions, and quite pleasantly surprisingly persons who do not participate in the political process for one reason or the other, join and assist in programs that we have in Bamboo Town. That is because we are about community not politics.
I do pray to the Almighty that we do not become like some of our neighbouring countries to the south where violence is the order of the day when it comes to politics. Let us not follow in their footsteps.
In my resignation statement, I said that I fear that we are going in the wrong direction politically. This is what I meant. It is time that we respond to the needs of our respective communities and serve the common good – Lord hear our prayer.
Taken from: REPRESENT!
Your voice in Bamboo Town
Vol. 1 Issue 15
January 2011 Edition
Bahamas Blog International
Leon Williams: Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) missed out on opportunities that would have made it even more competitive and valuable
“BTC Missed Out On Opportunities,” Says Williams
By Scieska Adderley
Former Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) President and CEO Leon Williams believes that the country’s telecommunications provider is the most profitable government entity, despite missing several opportunities that would have made the company even more competitive and valuable.
Mr. Williams was the keynote speaker at the Rotary Club of West Nassau’s weekly meeting yesterday.
During his address, he explained that he had a certain vision for BTC while he was at the helm.
According to Mr. Williams, his main goal was to raise enough money so that BTC could grow outside of The Bahamas.
"We went to Haiti where we built a $6 million cable to Haiti. The Government of Haiti offered us the first right of refusal for a DSL and a wireless network. It would have cost $30 million to do the GSM in Haiti. We did not see and when I say we did not see, other people did not see the value of Haiti."
Mr. Williams said if BTC had gotten its services off the ground in Haiti, using just 10 per cent of that country’s customers, in three years that alone would have generated BTC’s annual profits.
He noted that Digicel tapped into that market and within the first three months, the company had 500,000 customers, then in its first year, that number increased to 1.6 million customers.
Currently, Digicel has 2.6 million customers in Haiti.
Mr. Williams explained that BTC has also missed out on marketing its VIBE phone service internationally.
"We then created the VIBE network. We had the Bahamian girl on the box, a Jamaican girl on the box and we had a Haitian girl on the box. The idea was to go to Miami and sell the VIBE in Miami, 1.8 million in Miami. We even had it on Concourse D at the Miami International Aiport. We were even advertising where no one else was advertising in that same area in the United States."
Mr. Williams said it is important to expand the market beyond The Bahamas.
He compared it to Cable Bahamas, which has over the years expanded its services to countries such as Barbados, Jamaica, Curacao and the Dominican Republic.
Overall, Mr. Williams noted there are 20 million customers on The Bahamas’ border-markets that can be exploited, but unfortunately have not.
February 28, 2011
jonesbahamas
By Scieska Adderley
Former Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) President and CEO Leon Williams believes that the country’s telecommunications provider is the most profitable government entity, despite missing several opportunities that would have made the company even more competitive and valuable.
Mr. Williams was the keynote speaker at the Rotary Club of West Nassau’s weekly meeting yesterday.
During his address, he explained that he had a certain vision for BTC while he was at the helm.
According to Mr. Williams, his main goal was to raise enough money so that BTC could grow outside of The Bahamas.
"We went to Haiti where we built a $6 million cable to Haiti. The Government of Haiti offered us the first right of refusal for a DSL and a wireless network. It would have cost $30 million to do the GSM in Haiti. We did not see and when I say we did not see, other people did not see the value of Haiti."
Mr. Williams said if BTC had gotten its services off the ground in Haiti, using just 10 per cent of that country’s customers, in three years that alone would have generated BTC’s annual profits.
He noted that Digicel tapped into that market and within the first three months, the company had 500,000 customers, then in its first year, that number increased to 1.6 million customers.
Currently, Digicel has 2.6 million customers in Haiti.
Mr. Williams explained that BTC has also missed out on marketing its VIBE phone service internationally.
"We then created the VIBE network. We had the Bahamian girl on the box, a Jamaican girl on the box and we had a Haitian girl on the box. The idea was to go to Miami and sell the VIBE in Miami, 1.8 million in Miami. We even had it on Concourse D at the Miami International Aiport. We were even advertising where no one else was advertising in that same area in the United States."
Mr. Williams said it is important to expand the market beyond The Bahamas.
He compared it to Cable Bahamas, which has over the years expanded its services to countries such as Barbados, Jamaica, Curacao and the Dominican Republic.
Overall, Mr. Williams noted there are 20 million customers on The Bahamas’ border-markets that can be exploited, but unfortunately have not.
February 28, 2011
jonesbahamas
Monday, February 28, 2011
Loretta Butler-Turner: ...much work to do in The Bahamas to increase women and girls participation in the field of education, training, science and technology
The Bahamas reaffirms commitment to gender equality and advancement of women
tribune242
EVEN while lauding progress on gender equity in education and employment opportunities, Minister of State for Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner said that with the rapid advancement in information and communication technology (lCT) shaping the global environment, there is still much work to do in the Bahamas to increase the level of participation by women and girls in the fields of education, training, science and technology.
Mrs. Turner was addressing the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which convened at the UN under the theme "access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women's equal access to full employment and decent work." During her address, Mrs. Turner reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of The Bahamas to globally recognized goals for access for women and girls to education and employment and urged the elimination of gender barriers in order to empower women and girls to fully participate in the scientific and technical global environment.
The minister said that the Educational and Employment Acts of The Bahamas ensure equal educational rights for boys and girls and full employment and decent work for men and women.
"Increasingly girls are pursuing subjects that have traditionally been regarded as 'male' subjects in response to the changing demands of the local labour market," she reported.
"One of The Bahamas' success stories in promoting non-traditional educational training and employment opportunities for young people is the establishment of The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), which has seen greater numbers of females seeking careers in agriculture, construction engineering, electronics, and automotive and electrical engineering and technology."
Mrs. Turner also pointed out that a significant number of women currently hold high-level administrative and faculty positions throughout the educational system of The Bahamas, including several leading associate and assistant professors in the natural sciences and environmental studies and some who have served as Chair of the Natural Sciences Division at the College of The Bahamas.
"While these are notable achievements, I am well aware that this is not enough," the minister said. "With the rapid advancement in information and communication technology (lCT) shaping the global environment, we still have much work to do in The Bahamas to increase women and girls participation in the field of education, training, science and technology. An overwhelming number of female graduates are still inclined to pursue careers in the humanities, social sciences, and judicial fields."
February 28, 2011
tribune242
tribune242
EVEN while lauding progress on gender equity in education and employment opportunities, Minister of State for Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner said that with the rapid advancement in information and communication technology (lCT) shaping the global environment, there is still much work to do in the Bahamas to increase the level of participation by women and girls in the fields of education, training, science and technology.
Mrs. Turner was addressing the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which convened at the UN under the theme "access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women's equal access to full employment and decent work." During her address, Mrs. Turner reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of The Bahamas to globally recognized goals for access for women and girls to education and employment and urged the elimination of gender barriers in order to empower women and girls to fully participate in the scientific and technical global environment.
The minister said that the Educational and Employment Acts of The Bahamas ensure equal educational rights for boys and girls and full employment and decent work for men and women.
"Increasingly girls are pursuing subjects that have traditionally been regarded as 'male' subjects in response to the changing demands of the local labour market," she reported.
"One of The Bahamas' success stories in promoting non-traditional educational training and employment opportunities for young people is the establishment of The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), which has seen greater numbers of females seeking careers in agriculture, construction engineering, electronics, and automotive and electrical engineering and technology."
Mrs. Turner also pointed out that a significant number of women currently hold high-level administrative and faculty positions throughout the educational system of The Bahamas, including several leading associate and assistant professors in the natural sciences and environmental studies and some who have served as Chair of the Natural Sciences Division at the College of The Bahamas.
"While these are notable achievements, I am well aware that this is not enough," the minister said. "With the rapid advancement in information and communication technology (lCT) shaping the global environment, we still have much work to do in The Bahamas to increase women and girls participation in the field of education, training, science and technology. An overwhelming number of female graduates are still inclined to pursue careers in the humanities, social sciences, and judicial fields."
February 28, 2011
tribune242
Sunday, February 27, 2011
ZNS, while still having advantages over other news outlets, has been failing in its mandate to “inform, educate and entertain” the public
Does ZNS deserve a dime?
thenassauguardian
Corporation’s restructuring yet to bear fruit
Three months after the government released 80 people from the ZNS Network in a controversial restructuring exercise, ads running on the Parliamentary Channel declare that the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB) is now seeking to hire reporters and other employees.
ZNS still appears to be critically challenged and the public has a front row seat to witness whether the recent restructuring would indeed result in an improved operation.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham cannot coast forever on the fact the he liberated the airwaves after he first came to power nearly 20 years ago. It is perhaps why the administration has taken the action it says would lead to improvements at the state-owned corporation.
When Ingraham initially became prime minister, media-wise The Bahamas was in the dark ages after decades of the ZNS broadcast monopoly.
Many years of mismanagement and inappropriate intervention by the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) — which has no moral authority to lecture anyone on what has happened at ZNS — left many Bahamians misinformed and pretty much beholden to government for whatever scraps of information it would offer about its achievements.
As far as public transparency, things have gotten somewhat better in the years since.
However, as far as making substantive information freely available, the Free National Movement and the PLP leave much to be desired.
Politicians still use ZNS as a tool for propaganda, asserting their own importance and efficiency as often as possible.
It seems as if the politicians’ view is that the primary function of ZNS is to show how much they are doing for the very people they ask to pay for the state broadcaster.
ZNS’ financial situation
A recent report by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) noted that levels of public funding for ZNS are low by international standards.
In 2009/10, the corporation’s unaudited total income was $14.7 million. Of this, $6.2 million, or 44 percent of the total, was derived from commercial means, according to URCA.
The government provided a public grant of $8.5 million, representing the other 56 percent of ZNS' income over the year.
For the financial year 2010/11, the corporation’s public grant was slashed in half and now stands at $4.25 million.
According to URCA's research, the government grant in 2009/10 was the equivalent of spending $28 per person in the country.
URCA said that compared to PSB spending in 18 other countries, The Bahamas came in on the low-end of the scale.
URCA said other countries showed a per capita spend of around $40 to $60, and in some cases $80 to $110 per head on PSB.
ZNS, while still having advantages over other news outlets, has been failing its mandate to “inform, educate and entertain” the public.
Just looking at the information aspect of its mandate, ZNS has a long way to go and has been lagging for quite some time.
Staff changes
In 2009, ZNS radio anchor and reporter Julian Reid left the editorial department to work in programming.
He hosted a monthly show about the environment, ‘The Bahamas Naturally’.
Charlene Ferguson became the regular morning news anchor.
A few weeks before the corporation’s spectacular meltdown in November, long-time reporter Sherman Brown was forced to resign from the corporation after being caught up in some controversy involving the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and Canadian fashion designer Peter Nygard, who lives in Lyford Cay.
As part of the restructuring, Ferguson and Reid were let go.
Marcellus Hall, who was a sports editor, claimed he found the way ZNS handled the downsizing to be distasteful, so he voluntarily accepted a retirement package.
Jerome Sawyer, unquestionably the most qualified broadcast television talent at ZNS, was removed as anchor and from news altogether and given a one-year contract at a severely reduced salary to produce a show called ‘The Sawyer Report’.
Keishla Smith became the national television news anchor.
‘The Sawyer Report’ does not always air consistently, apparently because the studio space Sawyer was given to do his new show is now occupied by the new set for ‘The Bahamas Tonight’ evening newscast.
Sawyer also apparently has few resources to do his show, which is still no excuse for the irregularity of the broadcasts.
With Ferguson gone, Altovise Munnings, who was hired at ZNS about midway through 2010, is now responsible for the radio news and required to do TV reporting, which is normal in the industry.
Beverly Curry was removed as news director and offered the post of director of the Parliamentary Channel. She decided to accept a retirement package instead.
It is reported that she has since returned and accepted the job she was offered during the restructuring.
Anthony ‘Ace’ Newbold, who was formerly deputy general manager of the Parliamentary Channel, replaced Curry as news director.
Opal Roach and Betty Thompson were returned to news reporting from Parliamentary Channel duties.
Vaughnique Toote, a TV and radio reporter, was moved to the Parliamentary Channel.
She lasted less than two months and now works for The Nassau Guardian as the main news anchor for Star 106.5 FM.
So ZNS lost four reporters, one news anchor, and a sports anchor in the space of just a few months.
Now, after the frenzy that was the restructuring exercise, the BCB is looking for people to fill several positions.
In the meantime, reporters continue to host various shows.
Clint Watson has been hosting a news week-in-review program for some time now.
And Shenique Miller has been hosting the seasonal weekly show ‘Press Pass’ for more than a year now, although it is said to be heavily censored.
Since ZNS axed Julian Reid, reporter Giovanni Stuart has been hosting ‘The Bahamas Naturally’.
Syann Thompson also has a monthly culture show going on.
As ZNS added those responsibilities to some reporters, it has also increased the frequency of its radio and TV updates.
As part of the restructuring, ZNS recently abruptly stopped the national broadcast of television news from Grand Bahama.
The claim was that the cost was too much to bear, even though it was less than $100,000 per year to carry the broadcast.
That price does not seem exorbitant when one considers the value of properly informing the wider population on what is going on in the northern region.
ZNS also reportedly has an unwritten policy that ‘The Bahamas Tonight’ should not feature crime too prominently.
This sentiment was echoed by pastors at a recent press conference with police.
Apparently, the feeling amongst pastors and police is that the media sensationalize crime.
Anyone who cannot see how bad the crime problem is must be considered delusional and not allowed to make major decisions.
If the issue is not constantly highlighted and the police pressured to continually push back against criminals, the situation would only worsen.
ZNS also has a bad habit of making most stories about Cabinet ministers.
These high-ranking officials are important figures, but usually the story only tangentially involves them. It does not always begin and end with them.
And if the story is about the minister, tough questions should be asked.
As a result of all that has happened, ZNS has painted itself into a corner.
If ZNS does not correct itself very soon, the public may begin to doubt the veracity of information it broadcasts.
Now what?
ZNS Executive Chairman Michael Moss has rightly stated that ZNS has to be free of political influence. That might not happen anytime soon. The current prime minister seems unwilling to do this.
The PLP has slammed Ingraham for the downsizing.
If Perry Christie returns to power, it is unclear if he would rehire the laid off workers despite the drag on public finances.
Evidently, this mantra about the BCB being released from a political choke hold and transformed into something similar to what we see in industrialized countries has yet to bear fruit.
2/21/2011
thenassauguardian
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)