Observer Radio -The National Consciousness Of The Nation

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Kwame Nkosi Romeo

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Mar 14, 2009, 9:36:27 PM3/14/09

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The conflagration has not died
Ashes have not settled
Because just is still a burning desire
That will fan the flame
And keep the rising combativity alive

Bombshell

There are genuine perceptive commentary and persons expressly in opposition to the Observer Group, a conglomerate of Observer Newspaper and Observer Radio.

In historical perspective, despite decades of barefaced oppression of the media in Antigua and Barbuda, Outlet Newspaper and the combative Tim Hector were unequaled forces of free speech, an opposed the regime of former PM Lester Bird that violated and muzzled that freedom and constitutional rights to free speech.

Tim Hector challenged the Draconian public order act which said 'The truth is no defense' in 1990; and legal luminaries of the Privy Council in England in a landmark decision rule it unconstitutional and nullify former PM Lester Bird government autocratic control of the media!

He won the battle against state bias when Lord Bridge of Harwick in the case of Tim Hector vs Attorney General of Antigua stated:

"In a free democratic society it is almost too obvious to need stating that those who hold office in government and who are responsible for public administration must always be open to criticism. Any attempt to stifle or fetter such criticism amounts to political censorship of the most insidious and objectionable kind"

A decade after that ruling,Tim Hector struggles was undeniably pellucid in an Outlet article titled: 'Looking Back to Look Forward at my front-line political end' June 16, 2000

"[22] years ago in 1978 I was bound and shackled for doing no more than picketing most peacefully, with placard which read Stop Sending Arms to South Africa. In 1998 all of Outlet's printing equipment was torched by state terrorist. 20 years of persistent attacks. There has been nothing like it before in the political culture of the Caribbean"

Following the genesis of struggle established by Tim Hector an Outlet, was the dawn of contemporary media power - Observer Radio, releasing voices silenced by the trigger of undemocratic method, in spite of government aggression to stop media independence.

So, another case, much more public funds,same outcome as Outlet, Observer won. It was a humilating defeat for Anthony Astaphan, the Antigua and Barbuda government legal luminary.

Astaphan, is it at a fact that you were the lawyer representing the former Antigua Labour Party (ALP) government against the Observer Group, when the judges explicitly agreed your debate was "[Not] within 100 miles of convincing their lordships"

In any case, the agenda was to stifle freedom of expression; and it was against the national interest to do so. Evidently the object lesson of Outlet was

obviously ignored, Observer won!

The truth is Observer Radio for all of its shortcoming has the capacity to inform,educate and represent the public life force of the common good.

After all, it is probably the only radio station in Antigua and Barbuda that can truly be the vanguard and national consciousness of the nation once again ,only if the necessary changes are made

The Voice of the People will again champion the cause of the people an emerge stronger than ever; but it has to do so now!