media heavyweights

Wingti shuts out the media heavyweights

The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister is not a “box watcher. ”

And as yet he certainly does not reckon his three million countrymen can afford to be come television addicts.

But in the past few moths, he has had to put up with a barrage of lobbying from high powered media organisations each vying to grab the PNG TV broadcasting market.

Last month, Mr Wingti angri ly cut short a meeting with “market place” TV group Media Niugini, when he realised representatives of Ker ry Packer’s media team were present.

Up to eight TV companies, including Rupert Murdoch’s Channel Ten, have been mak ing representations to the PNG Government. There have also been concerted campaigns by satellite interests including Aus tralia’s AUSSAT, the worldwide Intelsat and America’s Pacstar

But no more.

Tired of representatives beat ing a path to his door, he has firmly shut it and put the whole matter in the hands of a public inquiry.

Unlike the previous Somare government which was hur riedly pushing to get TV on the air, issuing licences before there was statutory control Wingti reckons that TV is a prestigious luxury the country can ill afford, especially as the deteriorating radio service is in desperate need of improvement.

Mr Wingti has elevated his communications ministry in the Cabinet pecking order, demon strating the value he places on controlling communications, which he sees as an important tool to promote national deve lopment. And radio is one of the best ways to reach the majority of his people who live far from urban amenities.

But in taking his stand, Wing ti has had to contend with the independent statutory body, the Post and Telecommunica tions Board, which has different ideas. Its deputy chairman, Catholic priest Fr Danny Coyle, has been waging a lengthy publicity campaign, preaching the gospel of the “cheap rate”

Pacstar.

In fact all the recent TV lobbying has been going on while the PTC had already signed an agreement with the American corporation TRT in January 1985 to use its Pacstar satellite for PNG com munications. Fr Coyle is a member of the Pacstar board of directors.

But as far as Mr Wingti’s government is concerned, Pac star is still only one of the options open to it. His Com munications Minister’s bid to assert control over the indepen dent-minded PTC has led to a

court battle over attempts to dismiss board members.

Now a public inquiry will set out to establish a policy to regulate broadcasting for the next 20 years, said Com munications Minister Mr Gab riel Ramoi.

It will look into whether the present Acts of Parliament are adequate to cover TV broad casting, which body should control it, how it should be financed, whether there should be advertising and if so how much and how many channels there should be and which

would best suit PNG.

Tim

Sinclair.

Wingti ... not a “box watcher”.