PM: Don't use airwaves to promote divisiveness

By RICHARD LORD, www.trinidadexpress.com
Friday, May 14th 2004

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning has warned broadcasters that ethnic and other forms of divisiveness on the airwaves would not be tolerated.

Manning was addressing the sod-turning ceremony to mark the start of construction of the new head office of the Government Information Service (GIS) at St Clair yesterday.

He said a new broadcast policy was before the Parliament and if there was any breach the law would be effected.

Manning said the policy reminds the stakeholders that "ours is a plural society and the airwaves must not be used to foment any form of divisiveness or tensions whatsoever. The law, he said, would be applied against any violations of this important principle."

Manning said measures were being put in place by the Government to ensure the information sector plays its part in the development of Trinidad and Tobago.

And Head of News and former president of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT), i95's Dale Enoch is advising Manning and his Government to be cautious in such a move.

Enoch told the Express yesterday his advice is being given "because in this very plural society we have to be cautious on how we label things that might be considered to be divisive and inciting. We have to be very careful with those labels. So I would hope that the Prime Minister and indeed his Government are cautious in treating with such claims and allegations."

Chief Executive Officer of the CL Communications Network, Tony Maharaj said, if what the Prime Minister said is law and is part of the broadcast policy and accepted by all in the society then "we should abide by the law".

Maharaj said he did not think the move was intended to control broadcasters. He quickly added however that he did not know "how that is going to be written into the law, and until it is written-it depends on how it is written and interpreted and what it is meant to do."

Power 102 FM's Ricardo Welch (Gladiator) said he accepts the Prime Ministers statement. He said that he did not think his programme was in breach of the law. Gladiator added: It is a matter of interpretation and the Prime Minister is not a judge , a court to interpret the law. "

He said there is the Separation of Powers-the Executive and the Judiciary and the Legislature-so while the Prime Minister can make such statements, he is in no position to interpret the written letter of the law."