Veteran Guyanese Broadcaster, Enrico Woolford, may be heading back to familiar territory soon, as the administration appears set to effect major changes at the management of the state-owned National Communications Network.
Woolford, who is a Syracuse University Broadcast Journalism Graduate and the holder of a Masters in International Relations, previously worked at the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation and The Film Centre which both served precursors to what is now the National Communications Network. He held management positions at both of those agencies before leaving them in the early 1990’s to begin his own news and broadcast company.
He was approached by the new government just after it took office, to outline his position and vision on how NCN and the rest of the state media could be improved.
Senior government officials have confirmed to News Source that Mr. Woolford, who currently heads EMW Communications and Capitol News, is a leading candidate for a key position at NCN.
One senior government official said “Enrico has been approached and we want him to fix that place and fix it right. We hope he will take up the offer when it is presented”.
Contacted by News Source this afternoon, Woolford confirmed that he was contacted about his vision for changes at NCN but no job offer was made to him by the new Board that was recently put in place.
Woolford and current NCN CEO Molly Hassan during a media programme earlier this year
There are reports that he could be offered the position of Chief Executive Officer and the current CEO, Molly Hassan, could me moved to take on a role as Director for Marketing.
Woolford would only say that “there is a board at NCN. The board will have to make a decision on who the CEO is. There is a current CEO.”
He told News Source that the new board “must be allowed to assess the operations there and point the way forward. It is a State/Public Broadcaster that has a board which has the Prime Minister as the subject minister”.
Mr. Woolford admitted that he has been encouraged by persons in and out of Government to apply for the CEO position if it becomes available.
The government has not been hiding its concern about the current state of NCN. At a press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said he believes that it is time for “new energy and a new direction” at the state broadcaster.
The management at NCN has come under heavy criticism for its poor management of its finances. While the company rakes in annual earnings of over $500 Million, it has still been depending on a government subsidy. Just recently, the new government was forced to give the company a $20 Million bail out as it found difficulties in having sufficient funds at the time to offset its payroll of over 140 employees and monthly expenses.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo wants “new energy” at NCN
Prime Minister Nagamootoo said he will leave it up to the new NCN board to determine the way forward but he was clear that if the Board asks him for an opinion on the management problems at NCN, he intends to offer that opinion.
The National Communications Network and other state media fall under the Public Information portfolio of the Prime Minister.
The government has already been shaking up the editorial department of the state-owned Guyana Chronicle and management changes could be heading that way also.
The NCN board is expected to have its first official meeting on Thursday.
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