But it no longer has a monopoly. These days, it faces competition from two other television news stations and multiple radio stations that operate in a sophisticated broadcast environment.
The popularity of talk shows has grown rapidly. They provide a forum for the daily airing of views.
The opening of the airwaves was ushered in by the government of Hubert Ingraham. Elected in 1992, Ingraham, one of Pindling’s protégés, vowed to create a "government in the sunshine."
As a symbol of what was promised to be a new era of transparency, the new government held the Opening of Parliament outdoors in the people’s square. The ceremony had traditionally been held upstairs in the nearby Senate building.
Ingraham’s administration created a new, dynamic society with greater transparency. But senior civil servants, who have significant control over government departments and ministries, and therefore information in the public interest, have not caught up.
The opening of the airwaves gave many citizens a voice outside of Election Day every five years.
That action by the 1992 administration is widely viewed as one of the most important features of the legacy of Ingraham, who served three non-consecutive terms in office.
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Journalists protest the Bahamian government’s shrinking transparency. (Photos courtesy of Candia Dames)