Leaders Back Restoring Zbvi House Broadcasts
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has confirmed that elected leaders are united in working to restore live House of Assembly broadcasts on ZBVI Radio. The disruption, which began during a July legislative sitting, raised public accessibility concerns across the territory. Lawmakers have discussed the matter and efforts are currently underway to resolve the dispute.
Opposition Leader Marlon Penn has assured the public that elected leaders are actively working to resolve the issues that led to ZBVI Radio halting its live broadcasts of House of Assembly proceedings. Penn confirmed that lawmakers across the political spectrum share the position that the longstanding radio coverage should be restored as soon as possible.
The disruption first came to light in July when listeners tuning in to the July 21 legislative sitting discovered that the standard ZBVI broadcast was unavailable. At the time, Speaker of the House Corine Georges-Massicote directed residents to ZVCR 106.9 FM and the House of Assembly's official YouTube livestream, though no official public explanation was provided for the sudden change.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the Talking Points radio programme, Penn stated that he raised the matter directly with the Speaker upon learning of the situation and has since taken part in discussions aimed at reaching a resolution. While acknowledging the disruption, Penn declined to disclose the specific root cause behind the dispute, describing some of the surrounding circumstances as personal and sensitive.
The absence of legislative broadcasts on ZBVI 780 AM has sparked concern across the Virgin Islands, where the station has served as a cornerstone of public communication for decades. During the radio discussion, host Damion Grange noted that moving away from the traditional frequency disproportionately affects senior citizens, many of whom rely heavily on AM radio rather than internet streams or alternate frequencies to follow government affairs.
Historically, ZBVI has played an essential role in keeping the community informed during critical events, including hurricane emergencies, general elections, and legislative debates. Penn rejected any suggestion that elected representatives were divided over the matter, stressing that all members expressed concern and that both the Premier and the House intend to bring a positive resolution to the issue.
Primary source: BVI News