**Updates IFEX alerts of 23 July and 19 July 1999** (PINA/IFEX) – On 31 August 1999, the Fiji Islands government issued Canadian Ken Clark a one-year work permit to be chief executive of the country’s national television service, local news media reported. However, the Immigration Department’s acting director was quoted as saying that Fiji Television […]
**Updates IFEX alerts of 23 July and 19 July 1999**
(PINA/IFEX) – On 31 August 1999, the Fiji Islands government issued Canadian
Ken Clark a one-year work permit to be chief executive of the country’s
national television service, local news media reported. However, the
Immigration Department’s acting director was quoted as saying that Fiji
Television Limited must train a Fiji citizen or citizens for this work and
must submit a training plan within sixty days, as per the conditions set.
Clark’s work permit is valid as of 23 July.
On 23 July, Clark had resumed work on a temporary permit while an appeal
against an earlier rejection of his work permit was considered. The
rejection sparked fears that the new Fiji Labour Party-led coalition
government was trying to dictate appointments of news media chief
executives. PINA president William Parkinson told “The Fiji Times” newspaper
of 17 July that this was the business of media organisations’ boards and not
governments. He warned that the next step could be the government trying to
select chief executives for all companies, “The Fiji Times” reported. Clark
has widespread management experience in Canadian and New Zealand television.
Fiji Television said there were no local applicants qualified to run the
company, which operates a national free-to-air service and three pay
channels.
The government had said that Clark’s work permit was rejected because Fiji
Television did not train a local to replace the former chief executive, New
Zealander Peter Wilson. Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, who is also
Minister for Information, said at the time: “I have always expressed the
importance of training our own people … developing the capacity of our
people.”
Background Information
The Fiji Islands has amongst the most diverse and free news media in the
Pacific Islands. They include two seven-day-a-week English-language daily
newspapers, with a third about to be launched; weekly newspapers in Hindi,
Fijian, and English; news, business, trade and entertainment magazines;
independent commercial, community and religious radio stations;
government-owned public and commercial radio stations; and commercial and
community television.
But the news media have come under continuing criticism from Prime Minister
Chaudhry and his assistant Information Minister Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi since the
election of the new government in May (see IFEX alerts). This has included
threats to impose a government-regulated media council and to move against
“foreign” interests.