LETTER: Why did our tax-payer funded TV station not cover the UPP Political Event Last Week?

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Subject: Concerns Regarding Non-Coverage of Opposition’s People’s Parliament

Dear ABS Management,

I hope this letter finds you well but on your way to retirement since you’ve long past the retirement age.

I am writing to express my deep disappointment and concern regarding the recent decision not to cover the Opposition’s People’s Parliament held last week.

As a taxpayer-funded and state-owned television station, the ABS plays a crucial role in providing unbiased and comprehensive news coverage to the citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.

Media outlets, especially those funded by taxpayers, are expected to uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, and impartiality.

The decision to exclude coverage of a significant political event, such as the People’s Parliament organized by the opposition, raises serious questions about the station’s commitment to these principles.

It also raises serious questions as to whether your coverage can be trusted.

In a democratic society, access to information is paramount, and media outlets serve as a bridge between the government, opposition, and the public.

By choosing not to cover the opposition’s event, ABS has deprived its viewers of the opportunity to hear alternative viewpoints and engage in informed civic discourse.

This decision not only goes against the principles of journalistic integrity but also undermines the democratic values that our nation holds dear.

It is essential that the ABS remains an unbiased platform for political discourse, allowing citizens to form their own opinions based on a diverse range of perspectives. I remind ABS that they are not the Government Information Service. You enjoy a monopoly on TV news and that makes your responsibility even greater.

I urge you to reconsider the station’s stance on covering such events in the future.

A commitment to fairness and impartiality is crucial for maintaining the public’s trust and ensuring that ABS continues to fulfill its role as a responsible and unbiased source of news. Tax-payer funded means that the tax-payers are the owners.

I am surprised that people who pay their 17% ABST in this country accept this. I’ve noticed in recent times that many of you hold private media houses to a higher standard than the one you are paying for.

I hope that ABS will take the necessary steps to rectify this situation and uphold the principles of journalistic integrity that are fundamental to a democratic society.

Sincerely,

17 per cent and counting

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28 COMMENTS

  1. This is one of the main reasons that the ABLP has been in power for so long.

    If you have a media outlet that continually PROPAGATE the government’s points of view all the time, how can anyone living here be remotely surprised.

    One glaring example was the ABS’ coverage in the run-up to the last General Election. All we had was wall to wall coverage of the ABLP’S members of cabinet spouting INANE and INACCURATE promises that were NEVER challenged by ABS journalists.

    There was no in depth interrogations or challenging the ABLP’S utter nonsensical codswallop that the cabinet members were saying; and you only had to look at their comfortable demeanour whilst being comfortably interviewed, because they well an’ know that the government had the ultimate power to remove any ABS journalists that didn’t play ball with them.

    That’s why I wasn’t surprised when the UPP didn’t want to have anything with ABS during election time, because they knew they were on a hiding to nothing.

    THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MEDIA BALANCED VIEW IN ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, THAT’S WHY ANR IS GROWING AND DOING SO WELL.

  2. You are living in THE DICTATORSHIP OF A NATION.WHEREBY MOST THINGS PERTAINING TO THE PEOPLE ARE STATE OWNED.SO THE LEADER OF THAT DICTATORSHIP IS IN CONTROL.THE ABS RADIO AND TV ARE OWNED BY THAT DICTATOR AT LEAST HE THINKS THAT WAY.THERE IS ONE WAY TO CHANCE THAT.IN THE NEXT ELECTION VOTE THEIR ARSES OUT.

  3. Have you ever seen ABS covering an ABLP council meeting? It has NEVER happened. Why should they cover any political party’s council meeting? Furthermore, the UPP (along with other political parties) were invited to ABS in the lead-up to the last elections and they were the ONLY party that refused the invitation. Seems like you people want to dictate if, when, how, and wherefore the UPP use state media. It does NOT work like that!

    The Court has set certain guidelines for the opposition party (be it UPP or ABLP who is in opposition) to have access to ABS, but the UPP wants to create their own rules, outside of those that were set. Again, it does NOT work like that!

  4. ABS should be making its own money. I don’t understand why they need to be funded by tax payers ABS makes no effort to make a profit. All statutory agencies should try to make money to meet all their expenses. Government should cover only the excess

  6. As an unbiases citizen with no political affiliations, I do agree with the sentiments expressed. It is a shame that the head of these government and statutory organizations have no integrity. They stand as puppets of whatever administration of the day holds power.

    How can they then expect persons to respect them and their position when they themselves do not have have the operational or decision making ability?

    I liken these types of characters as nothing more than spineless jellyfishes, who only have the gall to victimize persons who are under their supervision, when they speak up about their rights, unfairness and illegalities within their sectors.

    As a businessowner, I am thanful i do not have to bow to whomever government is in power. The people need unbiased news coverage to make informed decisions.

  7. And why did the UPP MPs not attend Parliament where they were elected to go and being paid by the same taxpayers??? Yall are wild for this.

    • You are @ Really missing the point aren’t you?

      Surely, you can’t be that daft?

      Did you see what I did there? Probably not!!!

    • Well I never expected you to address the very key points raised in the letter. I could smell that response from a mile away. Address the issues raised re the role of the media. In any event, even if ABS thought the MPs should have attended the debate, that is not a justification for coverage of a news item that is clearly newsworthy. The opposition is part of the democratic machinery and media houses are to have integrity and up hold the principles of fairness. Over to you to address the issue. This is not about whether they should have attended or not.

  8. And why should our tax dollars pay the UPP MPs when they did not show up for work cause they didn’t get their way!!!!!

    • Well I never expected you to address the very key points raised in the letter. I could smell that response from a mile away. Address the issues raised re the role of the media. In any event, even if ABS thought the MPs should have attended the debate, that is not a justification for coverage of a news item that is clearly newsworthy. The opposition is part of the democratic machinery and media houses are to have integrity and up hold the principles of fairness. Over to you to address the issue. This is not about whether they should have attended or not.

  9. @Taxpayer citizen, thanks, I was wondering the same thing. Under UPP the ABS was controlled by the then government and the opposition was threated the same way. So why cry foul now? I am not ABLP, nor UPP, since I have supported both entities at some time. However I do support the Party in power since it’s the people’s choice. That doesn’t mean that I am not critical of the bad decisions they make, or the things they can’t seem to get right. And the people on the opposite side who keep making noises and behaving like they have all the answers to Antigua’s problems, I hope if or when given the chance you can deliver and don’t come up with a ton of excuses when you too can’t deliver.

    • I think you are a good example of why things never change in the country for the better. It should not matter who is in office it would not be right. Let’s start the change with our attitude to doing the right thing. ABS must stay of the of the fray, it cannot decide not to cover an event of that magnitude because it thinks the decision to boycott was wrong. ABS is not a political party and it ought not to take sides in its reporting.

      • Absolutely correct @ Joel Parry.

        For example, the majority of media outlets in Europe during a General Election have to give equal airtime to the main political parties that are contesting for office.

        This was never the case here in Antigua & Barbuda.

        In the future, for a fair and balanced media coverage electoral campaign, changes must take place, or we are a “democracy” in name only.

    • @ Talk half lef half

      you minion you gave away yourself; ABLP IS NOT THE PEOPLES CHOICE: GASTON TIEF THE ELECTION BY TRANSFERRING VOTERS IN SEVERAL CONSTITUENCIES TO AID HIS COLLEAGUES. WHAT A CRIMINAL!!!!
      EXPLAIN HOW THEN THAT BECAME THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE? WE ARE SO DUMB AND LISTEN TO CRAP ALL THE TIME FROM GASTON AND HIS COHORTS.
      Anyway you not fooling anyone as you are a typical minion in denial.

    • “… I am not ABLP, nor UPP”.

      Yeah right @ Talk half left half. If this were true, then why go on to castigate the UPP by saying:

      “… and don’t come up with a ton of excuses when you too can’t deliver”.

      Bwoi, Gassssston teach you ABLP acolytes how to distort good, good, good!

  10. I call a spade a spade.
    Why do some of the dumbest of dumb people come on this media outlet to regurgitate the same ole bias hypocrisy all the time?

    It’s quite obvious that many of the ABLP supporters lack the temerity to even form an unbiased argument that is as clear and straight as daylight, as this one that the writer put forth.

    There shouldn’t even be an argument here about why ABS should not have made the decision to not air the oppositions event, but here we are with some of these Dumbo’s trying to argue a moot point.

    That’s how dumb Gatson Browns die hards are. And to prove how dumb they are, after reading my post, they will still double and triple down with their stance that Gatson Browne is their God.

    Fools.

  11. UPP is private institution, just as the Anglican or Adventist Church. ABS has no obligation to film their meeting. If in parliament ABS films only the ABLP speakers that would be another issue. You can not except taxpayers to pay for UPP campaign. That is not what I pay tax for.

  12. I always support that the government should give all political parties air time on the state media example ASB TV station. In my opinion, if I was the manager of that station, I would not allow the TV station to cover the people’s parliament on New Gate Street. Reasons, there is a parliament building where parliament is held and everyone should go there for us to hear how they represent us. Failing to show up at parliament and going else where and keep your own parliament, I consider that to be Rouge behavior. In parliament, we listen to every body and we get to listen how our Parliamentarians are representing us. If they want to keep such a meeting outside of parliament, they should give it another name and not parliament. They must go to parliament and deliver so that we can make a choice as to who to vote into power. Majority people in this country didn’t hear what they say in that meeting where as if it was said in parliament everyone would hear. Am not for any political party to be ruling for so long. The ruling government to me don’t care anymore. They just going through the motion and unless the opposition party change their behavior, they will remain in opposition.

  13. The fact is, ALL of our media outlets here are mediocre, biased and void of what is called in the civilized world, investigative journalism. Basically, they sit at press conferences and swallow the $h!tt that Medford, Max and others, especially Gaston Browne spit, failing to point out the obvious lies, contradictions and misleading crap.
    Burford and ABS I simply do not watch. This station, like our leader and his cabinet has no credibility. Inasmuch as I would have liked ABS to have covered an event that was indeed newsworthy, I believe their presence there would have polluted what was a very positive, revealing People’s Parliament. Let ABS be who they have become. Just another entity that needs an overhaul when ALP is removed from office. Permanently.

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