SKY FM, the radio station popularly seen as a United Workers Party mouthpiece, is operating illegally, according to Infrastructure, Ports, Physical Development and Urban Renewal Minister Stephenson King.
King, who is also the Chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority Council of Ministers, appeared on the television talk show ‘State of the Nation’ Wednesday night where he confirmed that government is looking into the matter. However, he indicated that the situation is one of a complex nature.
“The authority that is vested in me is based on the Telecommunications Act and there are different procedures to be followed. Unless we follow these procedures there’s nothing we can do. So far what we have done… we have more or less taken the first step and that is to deal with the Kairi FM situation,” King explained.
According to King, “There is a situation where Kairi FM was acquired from the now Chairman of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC). Kairi operated, then sort of suspended operation—there is some talk of he (the Chairman) having acquired it and then a Torch Productions came into the picture and then later SKY FM.”
The station has been at the center of controversy ever since a document released late last year claimed that King had terminated the use of radio frequencies 107.9MHz, 93.1MHz and 369.0MHz granted to Nature Island Communications Corp. Ltd better known as Kairi FM, after taking a written recommendation from the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) dated 15 September, 2021 into consideration.
“SKY FM if I should say is certainly an illegal entity. They are broadcasting without a broadcast license and without frequency authorization. You do not have a broadcast license to operate yet still you’re out there broadcasting, cursing up everybody (and) you have the worst things to say about the government. The government of the Saint Lucia Labour Party in the operation and in our doings, we follow the law and we are now in the process of reviewing all of this before us and to take the necessary action in a timely manner,” King stated.