Can't Pay, Won't Pay, Community TV in Fiji Resists Licencing Charges

CTV, funded by WACC from 1998-2000, does not get any Government funds for providing non-profit, Public Service broadcasting. Furthermore they are charged the same licence fees as the commercial station. John Yates of CTV explains to Action why he is prepared to go to jail to highlight this unfairness:

Fiji Community Television is run by volunteers and broadcasts educational programmes daily. CTV licence holder John Yates faces prison for resisting commercial broadcaster licence fees. Pictured at CTV from left to right: Peter Chang, Taraivini, Rekha, Prem Naidu, John Yates, Manasa Vueti.

We and the volunteers here (about 30 of them) have given to the public a station that historically is a service that Governments supplied (funded by licence fees).

The various Government Ministers heap accolades on us when they visit. However they have not actually helped with one dollar of support. Without charge we broadcast messages from various ministries (Youth and sport, Health, Water supplies, Agriculture etc.). Four years ago the Ministry of Finance allowed us to import equipment and waived the duty but not the VAT. This is the stance of the various Fiji Governments that have come to power. We have to pay licence fees to the Government F$1,350 for each of the broadcast spectrums that we use plus $250 for the actual TV licence (yearly).

This last fee has been reduced from the original $1,100 after four years of appeals. Our annual fees that were $3,800 are now reduced to $2,950. We run for almost two months on this figure. Also the fees are the same as are charged for the other commercial channel here.

As far as we can ascertain Community Stations in other countries pay much less… in Australia $411 PA, New Zealand $50, and radio stations are a lot less.

I feel that the problem is that when the Fiji Government set the licence fees by statute in 1992 they did not take into account that there could be such a thing as non-commercial broadcasting with less ability to generate revenue for fees.

Over the last five years we have paid annual fees but only about a third of what was demanded. Our licence stipulates that non-payment of fees will result in the abrogation of the licence. The ministry will not withdraw the licence as the channel is so popular that there would be a hue and cry. So, since licences are held by an individual (me in this case) I have recently heard from the Ministry of Communications that they are suing me and that the case will be heard shortly in Nadi magistrates court. I am prepared to argue the case and will refuse to pay it.

“I hope that this will result in a jail sentence for me”

I hope that this will result in a jail sentence for me. In this way I may be able to highlight the unfairness of the Government’s attitude.. The ministry is demanding payment of accrued fees which they claim amounts to about $9,000… Of course we do not have this amount in the bank but possibly we could pay it over a couple of years. But that, as far as I am concerned, is not the point.

CTV website:www.openchannel.se/fiji
CTV e-mail:ctv@is.com.fj