By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE decision by the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB) not to broadcast the Free National Movement’s (FNM) upcoming Torchbearers Youth Association’s convention was yesterday blasted as “hypocritical” and “politically motivated” by party Chairman Sidney Collie.

In a strong rebuke of the national broadcaster’s decision, Mr Collie asserted that the BCB was allowing the ZNS television network to be operated as a “political tool in the midst of a heightened political climate,” claiming that the corporation has opted to hide behind a rule it refused to acknowledge when granting air-time to the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) earlier this month.

According to Mr Collie, the party’s youth convention secretary received a written response from BCB on January 11, which notified the FNM that the corporation could not grant the party a live broadcast.

In that letter of response, BCB General Manager Diana Swann wrote: “We confirm receipt of your letter dater January 6, 2017, in relation to the captioned matter. Please note that the corporation is unable to accommodate your request.”

Mr Collie said the party, upon receiving this information, launched an inquiry to determine why such a decision was made. He said the party was told that it had exceeded its allowed time slots for this year with past broadcasts.

He said he was referred to Section 19 and 20 of the Bahamas Broadcasting Act, which govern how political broadcasts through ZNS are to be handled in and out of election years, providing clear guidelines that any party, governing or opposition, in an election year is only allotted one political broadcast.

“To quote this act in this case is hypocritical because it comes as the PLP just held its three-day convention, with all three days live on that station, a week after it ran the PLP’s three-hour ratification celebration a week before that,” stated Mr Collie.

The PLP’s 51st National Convention ran live on ZNS TV and radio from January 24 to 26. Those broadcasts followed a lengthy PLP ratification exercise which was broadcast to the country via ZNS on January 19.

“That’s hypocrisy by definition,” Mr Collie added. “To tell us we had our convention last year, and thus can’t have another event broadcast makes no sense. We were prepared to pay, but that option was shot down as fast as it was suggested. It is now clear; the political bias of those running ZNS are clear. This entire move, in my opinion, is clearly politically motivated. It is a crying shame that we’re in 2017 and still fighting for broadcast rights. The biggest tragedy is that the youth of our party can’t speak to their peers via means that they can all access.”

The FNM has, in response to ZNS’ decision, agreed to broadcast its youth convention via Cable Bahamas’ Rev TV station. ZNS, unlike the Rev TV station, is broadcast across the entire Bahamas.

When contacted by The Tribune for comment on the matter, FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said the decision must be viewed as overt victimisation, adding that the station was denying the young people the opportunity to be seen on ZNS.

“It’s concerning that a government entity is refusing to air the upcoming youth convention being hosted this week by the Torchbearers Youth Association,” said the Killarney MP. “This gathering of young dynamic minds should be applauded and seen as an opportunity for our youth to engage in the political dialogue of our country. For ZNS to refuse payment for this historic event raises the alarm about the continued political interference of this cash-strapped corporation.

“We remind this government that ZNS belongs to all Bahamians, not just the PLP, and the youth of this country have a right to have their voices heard. This election is about the people. It’s the people’s time, and the government would do well to remember that.”

Officials at ZNS referred comment on the matter to Ms Swann, who could not be reached for comment up to press time.