Viewers support Channel 5 and vote against Government’s boycott of the station

Government issued a public advisory on December seventh, announcing that it is suspending normal relations with Channel Five. Since then this station has received the support of several organizations, political parties and private citizens. But what do our viewers think? We asked them to weigh in on GOB’s boycott of Channel Five and hundreds responded, voting against it. Seventy percent of respondents on our e-poll said no. Many compared government’s actions to the leadership styles in Venezuela and Africa. Overall, the viewers are supportive of the work of Channel Five. The list is too long, but here are some of the comments from our website in response to the government:

“Actions speak louder than words and your actions are what have given you away; not anything that Channel Five has printed about you.”

“It is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. People will favor Channel 5 more for the news because this proves that the others are forced to be biased.”

“Whilst I understand how it could be interpreted that Channel 5 news stories and presentations are not entirely Government friendly, it is objective and a different point of view.”

“The government is operating as a dictator sending directives to its employees that they should not engage with Channel 5. A real leader does not censor its critics just because he has the power.”

“With all the important issues in Belize such as the growing murder and poverty rates, GOB has time to start a quarrel with a news station?”

“Rather than attempting to muzzle the press, how about actually doing more than paying lip service to stamping out official corruption?”