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"An Open Letter to Peter Gillette"

By Professor Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 12, 2000

Although the date of the elections has not been announced, the UNC government has begun is shenanigans. It is no secret that Power 102 is the most powerful radio station in T&T to which many people listen. There is no doubt that Power 102 attracts politically sophisticated listeners who value the right to hear and be heard. In the process, Power 102 has become the people's window on democracy.

Now comes a dictum from above. Lindsay Gillette says that Power 102 should not carry political ads any more, particularly at a time when PNM is on the ascendancy. That PNM utilises this station in a way that UNC does not suggests that Gillette's directive is likely to affect the PNM more than it will affect the UNC. In an election season, when millions of dollars are being poured into UNC coffers, Mr. Gillette should not tie PNM's hands behind its back to ensure that the election is stolen from them. I call on Mr. Gillette to rescind his directive immediately. I intend to alert the chairman of PEN International about this indirect form of censorship and will do everything in my power to alert other international bodies about this denial of people's free expression we are witnessing in our society.

As the election season progresses, things will get worse. Whether it emanates directly from the government or is carried on through its agents, this policy stinks to high heavens. Any government that comes to power through illegitimate means or by denying citizens the right to be informed so that the can make informed judgements infringes on their basic democratic rights. It is almost as bad as it the owners of the Trinidad Express, the Trinidad Guardian and Newsday decided it would carry no news about politics, allow no political commentary and accept no political ads in their newspapers.

The citizens of T&T, through their elected representatives, allow Mr. Gillette to run a radio station. Such permission is granted on the basis that he uses the airway to inform and/or entertain listeners. By disallowing political advertisement he betrays the right that we, as citizens, have granted him. In so doing, he has insulted our people's intelligence and has done a grave discredit to our democracy. Therefore, I call upon him to reconsider his position and rescind his decision.

Powerless 102 FM

An Open Letter to Peter Gillette

A Racist Radio Station in Trinidad

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