Former Telecommunications Minister and attorney Camilo Gonsalves has publicly condemned what he characterizes as an “unethical, unjust, and illegal” effort by new leadership within the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) to force opposition outlet Star Radio off the air.
Speaking during a radio broadcast on Monday, Gonsalves charged that the regulatory authority is exceeding its statutory powers by attempting to shut down the primary media organ of the Unity Labor Party (ULP) over administrative requests dating back nearly two decades.
Star Radio, operated by the Star Broadcasting Corporation Limited, has maintained a continuous broadcasting license in St. Vincent and the Grenadines since 2007. In November 2025, several months prior to its license expiration scheduled for mid-2026, the station submitted its formal renewal application alongside the required fees and documentation. However, in February 2026, the NTRC requested additional corporate records, including a notice of registered office, director appointments, bylaws, and a Certificate of Status.
Although Star Radio provided the requested Certificate of Status, the NTRC subsequently demanded a Certificate of Good Standing from the Commerce and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), raising issues regarding historical corporate filing formatting from 2007 through 2009. Gonsalves noted that these technical details at CIPO—such as minor signature formatting line omissions—dated back 15 to 18 years and held no legal bearing on the 2026–2031 renewal period.
Despite CIPO Deputy Registrar Charlene Douglas certifying that Star Broadcasting Corporation Limited remains a validly existing domestic company not subject to liquidation or dissolution, the NTRC issued a letter directing Star Radio to cease transmission.
Gonsalves detailed several key statutory arguments contesting the lawfulness of the NTRC’s directive:
Lack of Formal Investigation: Under telecommunications regulations, a cease-and-desist or transmission halt order can only follow a formal written investigation establishing that station operations pose severe public harm—a procedure Gonsalves stated was never initiated.
Ministerial Authority: Statutory power to suspend, revoke, or refuse a broadcast license rests exclusively with Minister of Telecommunications Philip Jackson, who has issued zero correspondence to Star Radio.
Absence of Statutory Grounds: Neither the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) nor the Minister recommended non-renewal, and no signal interference or fee defaults occurred.
Breach of Administrative Precedent: Demanding that Star Radio go off the air for up to three months while re-applying violates long-standing administrative protocol, which allows stations to continue broadcasting while renewal applications remain pending.
Raising concerns over natural justice and procedural fairness, Gonsalves questioned the impartiality of the regulator’s decision-making board. He highlighted that newly appointed NTRC Chairman Benjamin Exitter is a former political candidate and executive for the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) who had previously been subjected to sharp political satire on Star Radio.
Gonsalves further alleged selective regulatory enforcement, citing an instance where a state-owned entity terminated a service contract to hire a firm directed by a sitting government official despite that firm failing to file annual CIPO returns for five years.
Contrasting current events with past administration practices, Gonsalves stated that under previous ULP governance, critical opposition radio stations facing non-compliance were given extended periods to regularize their filings rather than being pulled off the air, specifically to preserve open democratic discourse. He also criticized the internal leak of private NTRC letters onto social media, describing it as a breach of administrative confidentiality that damages the regulator’s standing with international telecommunications conglomerates.
Closing his statement, Gonsalves warned that attempting to silence an opposition voice through administrative technicalities threatens to give St. Vincent and the Grenadines an international “black eye” regarding press freedom. He urged the NTRC board and technical leadership to exercise professional maturity, lower the temperature, and resolve the matter strictly within the parameters of the law.
