NGOs denounce private radio station ban

Liberian non governmental organisations denounced on Monday a decision by President Charles Taylor not to allow anymore shortwave stations except the three which are currently licensed, AFP reported. In a press statement, the Movement for the Defence of Human Rights (MODHAR) described Taylor’s decision as a constitutional violation. “Compelling the nation to listen to a party-controlled radio station is an abuse of political power and the people’s right to be informed, AFP reported MODHAR as saying. Child rights advocacy group FOCUS described the ban as a violation of children’s rights to be informed, according to AFP. Taylor, who made the announcement on 23 August, said that he would only allow his private Liberia Communications Network (LCN), the state-owned Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) and the religious station ELWA to operate on shortwave. LBS, established at the behest of the Nigerian government in 1991 to promote the Liberian peace process, does not have a transmitter at the moment and ELWA has been carrying out “test transmissions”, leaving LCN as the only station operating frequently, a humanitarian source in Monrovia told IRIN. Meanwhile Liberia’s Roman Catholic church has filed a suit against the government for banning its radio, Veritas, from airing services on shortwave, AFP reported a church official as saying on Tuesday. The church had wanted to resume the shortwave transmissions of Veritas, out of service for two years due to technical problems, but was prevented from doing so in late July by the government, AFP reported. Taylor defended his action arguing that shortwave radio was not a right but a privilege.