The popular ZNS TV news show Press Pass has been pulled off the air, it was revealed yesterday - reportedly because management of the state-run channel objected to criticism of the government's budget cuts as it related to ZNS.

The pre-taped 30-minute program - which is hosted by ZNS senior reporter Shenique Miller and is a discussion between journalists from various media houses - was supposed to feature a debate this week about the recent Budget Communication, with particular emphasis on the 50 per cent cut to ZNS' allocation.

With this reporter (Paul G Turnquest) as a scheduled guest along with ZNS reporters Clint Watson, Altovese Munnings, and Joy FM DJ Kevin Harris, the show was taped on Thursday, June 3, at ZNS headquarters on Collins Avenue.

During the taping, the discussion focused primarily on the budget cuts to BCB and highlighted how the salaries of 70 managers at ZNS were consuming more than $5 million of the corporation's $8.2 million allocation.

The remaining 142 line-staff at ZNS, it was said, were paid out of the remaining funds.

Following the taping, ZNS was reportedly "all abuzz" with word of what had transpired during the show, with many staff members being urged to tune-in to Monday's show. However, this show was abruptly pulled without explanation.

When contacted by The Tribune yesterday for the reason behind this decision, the Senior Deputy General Manager of Radio and Television Kaylessa Deveaux-Isaacs said that the corporation has a system whereby they are given a list of the topics that would be discussed in advance of any taping.

According to Mrs Deveaux-Isaacs, the topics that were approved were not the ones discussed during the show.

However, in an e-mail sent by a senior ZNS employee on June 2 to the reporters who would be appearing for the taping, "budget allocations and cut backs" were clearly outlined as one of the points to be addressed, along with, "Rift in Cabinet, Jehovah's Witness and others (in) NIB fraud, Time Magazine's 'crime' article, and new prison legislation."

When The Tribune attempted to gain clarification on this point, Mrs Deveaux-Isaacs said that any further comment would have to come from general manager Edwin Lightbourne's office.

The remainder of the exchange was as follows:

Mrs Deveaux-Isaacs: "Is this something you are supposedly going to print?"

Reporter: "Yes, it is."

Mrs Deveaux-Isaacs: "OK. I have no further comments then."

However, repeated attempts to reach Mr Lightbourne for his comments on the matter were unsuccessful up to press time last night.

A senior journalist yesterday told The Tribune that ZNS' handling of this issue is reminiscent of by-gone days when censorship was the "order of the day."

"You cannot appear, in this day and age, to be restricting what can be said about a public corporation that only survives on the goodwill and blessings of the Bahamian people. We have a right, not only as journalists, but as citizens of this country to ask the tough questions and be free to ask them without fear. Censoring the public from this information will not make the problem go away," he said.

Future installments of Press Pass are expected to be broadcast starting next week.

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