There is genuine media freedom in any democracy in which a vibrant, independent media fulfils its duty to the public to hold elected governments to account. And there is the bullshit version of “media freedom” in Fiji, in which the Coalition government uses taxpayer funds to buy off commercial, non-government media outlets to secure their support.
We now have a plausible reason why CFL-Fiji Village has steadily turned into a propaganda outlet for the Coalition in recent months, including Vijay Narayan‘s Straight Talk program going so soft on government figures from the Prime Minister down that issues of vital national importance are routinely ignored.
Is it because William Parkinson‘s radio network has been fishing for its share of the allocations of taxpayer funds that have already been granted to Mai TV and Fiji Television under the government’s Public Service Broadcast Grant Program? (see below). It’s a reasonable assumption to make when CFL has just reeled in $1.732-million a year in public funding in the radio category.
For the 2024-25 financial year, the government announced an allocation of $10.4 million for what it cast as “public service broadcasting”. But it reduced the annual amount it gives to the traditional public broadcaster, FBC, to $6.2-million and allocated $4.2 million to “other media service providers”.
These are not “public service broadcasters” at all. They are money-making commercial entities not owned by the public, like FBC, but by private interests. And unlike FBC, they are not providing a comprehensive public broadcasting service to all parts of Fiji through radio, television and the Internet. They are niche players motivated by profit.
So why is $4.2-million of your hard-earned money being allocated to privately-owned broadcasters when the government doesn’t even have the funds to cover the provision of basic services? It is totally reliant on countries like Australia for budget support. And Australia gave recently yet another $73-million to Finance Minister, Biman Prasad, to meet his budget shortfall.
Even more pertinently, why is the Coalition giving $1.732-million in taxpayer funds to Communications Fiji Limited within days of CFL announcing that it has doubled its profits from its broadcast operations in Fiji and PNG? (see below). William Parkinson’s network is thriving. It doesn’t need the money and the Fijian people do. So why is it getting anything at all?
All we have is a bare announcement, not from Biman Prasad, but from CFL. And it raises a lot more questions than it answers.
- What role, if any, did CFL play in the formation of this program. Did it lobby to receive public funding on top of its earnings from advertising?
- What hoops did CFL have to go through to secure the $1.7-million? How was it able to justify to Biman Prasad receiving $1.7 million in taxpayer funds when it is a profitable commercial network?
- What undertakings have been demanded from CFL-Fiji Village about the content of its “public service” broadcasting to justify a taxpayer grant at a time when Fiji is struggling to cover the cost of basic service delivery?
- What undertakings have been given by William Parkinson and CFL-Fiji Village about the content it will provide and especially material that can be classified as “political” and advantageous to the Coalition?
- How will the $1.7 million be accounted for? Will content made with the money contain a declaration that they have been funded by the Fijian government, and especially information programs?
The point is that at a time of extreme budgetary challenge in Fiji – so much so that Australia has to prop up the budget with money from Australian taxpayers – Biman Prasad and his Coalition colleagues are propping up the fat cats of the commercial media. And in the case of CFL, there are shades of propping up the fat cats at Fiji Water when profitable companies receive public grants or concessions when there is no obvious reason that they should.
One of the recipients, Mai TV, may be struggling but that’s business and, frankly, tough. It needs to stand on its own two feet. Yet William Parkinson and his kai vata aren’t struggling at all. So we need more answers both from Parkinson and from Prasad about what this deal entails. Because no media organisation can be genuinely independent if it is taking money from the government of the day. CFL-Fiji Village’s audience – along with every Fijian taxpayer – deserves complete transparency in relation to such a deal. And we simply haven’t got it.
We certainly have every right to be concerned when Vijay Narayan has displayed signs for some time of turning into a “soft ” interviewer on Straight Talk – in stark contrast to his (mild) attack dog approach under the last government.
And what was Narayan – the News Director of CFL-Fiji Village – doing at the meetings with Biman Prasad that secured this deal? Surely this is a commercial arrangement that should have been sealed by proprietor William Parkinson and Charles Taylor, his management sidekick.
Why would you jeopardise even the appearance of impartiality of your news service by having the News Director present to talk money with the Finance Minister? Does the deal include specific undertakings about news coverage of the government and its leaders? Even without any formal undertakings, it is an image that reeks of editorial compromise.
So there are 1.7 million reasons for Fijian taxpayers to be demanding answers. Because we all know the old saying that “he who pays the piper calls the tune”. And then, for the government, the biggest question of all:
- Why would Biman Prasad be giving money he doesn’t have to a profitable commercial radio network 18 months from a general election? What “public service” could CFL Fiji-Village possibly provide that the public broadcaster, FBC, isn’t already providing and could potentially provide more of if the entire $10.4-million in this program had been given to bolster its own services?
Here’s the most likely answer, Fiji : CFL can be expected to go easy on the government and not put it under the same level of scrutiny in the election lead-up. And if you think that’s an uncharitable view, this $1.7 million is an annual grant, not a one off. Yep, they are now on the public drip and CFL and the rest are going to have to sing for their supper again in the next budget. So there are also 1.7 million reasons why – to coin another old saying – they are not going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
None of these payments were made under the FijiFirst government, which continues to cop a caning for its assault on media freedom yet has been replaced by something even more insidious – a government that claims to have delivered media freedom but has bought off sections of the commercial media with taxpayer funds to do its bidding.
Memo Biman Prasad: Explanations please. Because for all his faults, your predecessor, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, would never have been that shameless or opportunistic. And you know it.
L/R: Vijay Narayan, Biman Prasad, William Parkinson and Charles Taylor
The grants to Fiji Television and MaiTV announced in January.
And now $1.732 million “per annum” to CFL Fiji Village days after it announced that it had doubled its profits.
When they’ve got $1.732 million of your money, who wouldn’t be celebrating?
POSTSCRIPT:
A Grubsheet reader raises the issue of what role, if any, the controversial business figure, Pramesh Sharma, played in getting CFL access to public funding?
Sharma is known to be close to Biman Prasad…
…and he is listed as a board member of CFL PNG.
We recently had cause in these columns to criticise Pramesh Sharma for his defence of the Prime Minister’s refusal to account for his gold Rolex and his attack on the David Ashton Lewis Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances of Barbara Malimali’s appointment as FICAC Commissioner.
Grubsheet is banned from Facebook on a complaint by Lynda Tabuya but we gather from multiple sources that in the wake of the following article, Pramesh Sharma deleted his Facebook account.
Perhaps he would like to comment here on what role he might have played in securing CFL’s $1.7-million “public service” allocation.
As Prime Minister Rabuka has rather obnoxiously declared his right to remain silent, it appears that this so-called “Miranda right” is rapidly becoming a convenient shield for institutions—allowing them to suppress negative stories and manipulate public opinion.
With elections just around the corner, this coalition is beginning to feel the tightening grip of a political Watergate of their own — alleviated, it seems, only by the public’s mandatory $1.7 million contribution. Time is ticking, and the idea that this same Miranda right might soon be read back to them is both daunting and, perhaps, inevitable.
(Eds explanatory comment. In the US, the Miranda Right is the right to remain silent – a safeguard to limit the scope of police interrogation)
Mr 5% (Pramesh Sharma) has been a director of CFL Fiji and continues to be a director of CFL PNG. He is a conduit to a lot of these questionable transactions and that explains his masipolo ways …..
Yes, Pramesh Sharma appears on the CFL website as a board member of CFL PNG and his links to Biman Prasad are well known.
You can read more about Pramesh Sharma here: https://www.grubsheet.com.au/the-extraordinary-conduct-of-pramesh-sharma-coalition-cheerleader-and-dogla-traitor/
Radio Sargam was the reason for CFL to provide Public Services to the listeners after the then government gave the company funds. Satya Nand sucks as an announcer. He’s not cool.
Pramesh Sharma is in fact known as mr 10% in business circles. He is the unscrupulous wheeler dealer who has Biman, Manoa, Rambo and others of their ilk on speed dial. He makes things “happen” for anyone who needs favours from this corrupt govt. The only condition is that he needs his cut in some way, shape, or form.
Thats how he was able to buy his property at 5 Steele Rise Pakuranga for 1,575,000 – cash, no Morgage also has company in NZ called PASS consultants Ltd. Accountant is G K Accounting.
This house purchased in this affluent auckland suburb was the proceeds of a 10% cut that he got from Wella Pillay, paid in nz, for deal he made “possible” when he worked at BSP. He ensured that the tendered BSP property in question was sold to his mate Wella for 15 million and in return he got 10% or 1.5 million paid to him in auckland. Since then he has had a fall out with Wella.
He also took kick backs when he was heading the Denarau board, promising a neighboring developer access road through Denarau. He took lots of money from the developer to make the road “possible” but at the last minute liumurid the developer and voted with the rest of board to refuse the proposal.
He is closely associated with all the anti FijiFirst types in NZ and Fiji. Himmat Lodhia’s brother who owns the Sona Sansar (translated: gold of the universe – hindi, or asshole of the world – itaukei) jewellery shop in Auckland is his buddy with the likes of Sudha Karan etc. All these dick heads plot on how to slander FijiFirst and more importantly how to make private deals for themselves with the assistance of the close ties with the corrupt Coalition government.
The irony is that these bastards are involved in the very type of corruption that they falsely accused FijiFirst of. Pramesh is also on several boards and has managed to weasel his way into other businesses through his political connections, vesumona and con ways.
He frequently slanders people on his fb page and sometimes he gets slapped with legal notices from people who have the energy to go after him. Right now he has a semi permanent apology and bullshit story about how his account is always hacked. Of course he’s lying. He just makes up bullshit and if someone threatens him with legal action then he either apologises, claims his account is hacked or he closes his page down for a while. You see he is a lamu sona. He talks big and walks funny like duck to create the impression that he is king shit. He is just a common conman who finally is able to openly con people without any fear because the equally con government that he has on speed dial has got his back.
When all this current madness is over it will be very interesting to investigate the life and times of Pramesh sharma under the Coalition government. He is such a lamu sona that he will pull many other with him down as he sinks.
While other media widely covered Mr 10% (Pramesh Sharma’s) sexual offending, CFL had zero coverage on the matter…..
One has to protect their own….?
This whole public service money “gifts” to CFL, fiji tv and mai tv is all one huge scam. Why should private entities get money from the govt for any reason? Especially when mai tv has not paid it’s tv broadcasting license for almost a decade. Yup that’s right mai tv owes the government hundreds of thousands of dollars and instead of demanding that they pay their dues like other media organizations biman “the not so bright” , thinks it’s fit to give mai more than a million dollars a year!!. What bullshit is this? So will mai just eventually pay govt what it owes from the money it gets from govt? Try working that out in your head. This whole public service thing is as corrupt and chaotic as the coalition govt itself.
The Fiji media lacks the nous for investigative work, the acumen for eloquent content and character to hold all to account.
Pramesh Sharma has in my observation Not deleted his fb account. That would be him giving up completely one of his essential self promotion tools. Like one of the Kardashians giving up on social media – no way ! He has restricted or locked his fb account to his fb friends only. ( Hint hint. )A user enabled feature on fb to lock out non friends.
Mr 10% ( Pramesh Sharma has up his rate after 2022), is the most hated Fijian in NZ because he boasts at any opportunity ( even at a funeral ) that he has direct line to Manoa, Biman, and Rambo – his mate, Sudha Karan, is the middle man. (LINE EXCISED FOR LEGAL REASONS) PS compliments William Parkinson, fiji president, PM, Education minister and Lynda. Buying media freedom is the end for all involved, look at what Stanley Simpson and his fan club now – you can’t hide the truth. Keep up the great work GD
When I used to work at ministry of communications, we were always told by former AG to ignore the file of Mai TV – Stan the man owed 155k for licence fees, greased ASK and charges still unpaid, ignored by Manoa as well – furthermore, we were told to ignore the walesi charges for transmission because it was election year by former AG, still the same for Manoa – all politicians same, don’t piss the media off – Pramesh Sharma, the sex hungry horse, is Fijis Elon Musk (except no brain and money) – ring him to sell your media freedom.
The media is bought in Fiji no doubt. Why else would the face of Kishti “call me doc, give me a Fiji govt job please” Sen would appear on the front page of the Fiji times within weeks to announce pathetic economic predictions.
Firstly these predictions “doc” makes although best made in a high school year 10 economics exam as ideas, give a misleading view that Fiji is on a growth path despite host of government incompetence, a degradation of social indicators and the now new volatile economic conditions due to the trade war.
ANZ shareholders would need answers on why this bank only in Fiji and PNG is regularly providing simplistic economics predictions that favours governments image.
The three rate reductions in Australia this year that “give me a fiji govt job please” predicts would most likely reduce Sen’s bus fare around Sydney. It is a far cry to associate that to filling future Fiji government coffers when the general public around the world is gearing to tighten their belts to get through a turbulent economic times ahead initiated by the Orange man.
Kishti has already a friend in Baiman who was teaching economics to the “doc is in da house” at USP. Previously A similar relationship was sought with Kai who did not respond so kindly when he appointed one of his own to the RBF Governor position. Doc must know the people in Fiji media who favour his high school standard articles to be published on the front pages and regard him as a top 10 businessman. Note that “doc is in da house” as never done job outside of economics research let alone run a business or managed any employees. ANZ could also be playing a role in this Rolex relationship with the Fiji media with an intention to keep front and centre in all customers mind with regular branding splashed across the media.
A scrutiny on what is this media freedom is definitely staring back at us.
Pramesh and deluded FJ govt, it’s all coming to an end soon – CFL, Reddy Group and Carpenters show their incompetence by hiring Pramesh for governance, he is FJ Govts prostitute, no company outside of fiji will consider his credentials (maybe Auckland Zoo) . Fiji media is absolutely biased – that’s why we only follow Grubsheet.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I wonder if Biman would consider putting me on the drip? After all, this is a public service. No? I didn’t think so. 😉
Graham, I’m sure he would pay you, if he was convinced you would say nice things about him.
Fiji the way the world according to Biman and his cohorts should be.
I suspect that I may have already failed the audition. I used to say lots of nice things about him until we were betrayed. Never again.
A man who has never made a mistake is a man who has made nothing!
Yes, I have long learnt to treat failure as a friend. 🙂
Another well researched and timely piece GD.
It is abundantly clear, even to the blind, that the CFL has been lured into selling their complete loyalty to the Coalition. It is no brainer to realise that we cannot expect independent and any ‘real’ journalism from the Parkinson empire, as far as the current government is concerned. The Coalition must be celebrating like drunken sailors.
What a shame as we had grown up to value William’s apparent independence and unbiased stance during many challenging periods in Fiji when other media had to succumb to dictators and coup makers. And as you rightly said, it is not as if the company needs more money. They have posted a massive profit and can afford to set a high bar, especially for the sake of our current and future generations.
I wonder who would be other beneficiaries in the already compromised media in Fiji.
We have the stupidest Finance Minister and deputy Prime Minister in Fiji’s history. Baiman should’ve kept away from this handover, but he’s so desperate for publicity that he will even open toilet doors to get his picture in the media. If you want to bribe the media fine, but why make it obvious to everyone that you are behind it?
Dumb Baiman his advisors lack even basic common sense, and here they are running the finances of the country. No wonder the economy is in tatters. The sooner Rabuka realises what a liability Baiman and NFP are to him and the PAP, and the sooner he cuts them loose, the better for the government and for the country. Rabuka could start by taking away the finance portfolio from Baiman and do the country a great favour.
After the recent power power outage in Viti Levu, CFL was the only broadcaster that remained continuously online. FBC regularly takes time to restore its broadcasting in the event of power outages. As was the case with the power outage last month. Can’t really blame CFL for its competency but FBC can surely be blamed for its sub-par broadcasting infrastructure. FijiFirst’s attempt at digitalisation of broadcasting has led to this. Before, FBC always had uninterrupted broadcasting.
There should be a new CFL program called Talking Shit – there will be a lot of content.
Well since we have state of the art hospitals, exceptional health care, 1st world roads, prime educational facilities for our children and some of the highest paid politicians in the world, we definitely can waste a few million on this sort of nonsense.
Parmesh Chand, the former PS for the Public Services and failed PAP candidate appears to have seen the writing on the wall and got out to spend his retirement years as ambassador to Japan. I think he saw what is coming and packed up. I do not believe he was able to achieve anything as PS for the Pubic Service as the Ministers ignored his edicts that no grog was allowed. I am sure there were tensions and he most probably is now saying, “what was I thinking”?
He was also one who just wanted the get rid of the previous mob at any cost (sound familiar?) as he was part of it first and then fell by the wayside.
Be that as it may, he is still a self-server and another vulagi who has enabled these useless imbeciles in government, just like any other Baimaans.
Biman Prasad is allocating public funds to commercial entities as though they are his personal resources. The justification for giving taxpayer money to CFL and Mai TV—both commercial broadcasters—by claiming they are public broadcasters like the government’s FBC is not only misleading but unacceptable.
These entities are established as commercial ventures, and using public funds to support them is unjustifiable. In fact, it borders on fraud, and there is a clear need for an investigation into Biman’s potential misuse of public funds. CFL, in particular, has become a government mouthpiece, essentially controlled by the administration.
This is not the first instance of such questionable financial decisions. Biman has previously directed funds to Pacific Polytech, which is owned by his close associate, Ganesh Chand, a colleague with whom he shares ties through Fiji Institute of Applied Science (FIAS).
Additionally, Ganesh Chand, along with Biman’s wife Rajni Chand, serves as Trustees at the Global Girmit Institute (GGI), which has also received funds under dubious circumstances.
It appears that Ganesh Chand, with his network of allies, has become the central figure in organizing Girmit events. This raises serious concerns about the transparency and fairness of these transactions.
Biman Prasad must be held accountable for the wasteful expenditure of taxpayer funds allocated to CFL, Mai TV, Pacific Politec, and GGI. I fully concur with GD’s analysis of CFL and Mai TV as they don’t deserve funds from the government.
CFL – time to hear more shit and sexualised content on children then. That’s the legacy for CFL and FM96. They are a great lot.
One also can just imagine the money dodgy Parkinson gets from sitting on all the women boards. Just take a look. He is full of it. These NGOs give him money in return for CFL.
Oh, hang on! What happened to the health and safety report where the young Indian woman died at the CFL event in Suva?
Most corrupt government ever.
All Stanley Simpson is doing is NOTHING. Useless kailoma mouth with no brain that even the educated kailoma are ashamed of him.
He was in Niue a few weeks ago. The NZ contingent saw right through him. They called him a brainless nobody.
There you have it. The Stanley Simpson of Fiji. Most useless journalist ever, according to his Pacific colleagues.
Yuck. No CFL. The same crowd that told a 8 year old boy to seduce a 5 year old girl on the stage in a carnival in Fiji? Disgusting and filthy. They might as well openly say raping children is fine.
A year ago, Ireen Rahiman-Manuel, an advocate for women and children’s wellbeing, wrote the following on her LinkedIn page and provided evidence of the abuse CFL has on the children of Fiji and the Pacific. She wrote at great lengths and shared this evidence with the Government of Fiji, AusAID, NZAID. She questioned why taxpayer aid funds were given to CFL given its continued abuse on women and girls. This saw AusAID pull back on using CFL in any of its events. Ireen put up a challenge that she will continue to expose the donors if they used CFL. She also highlighted the use of funds for Leadership Fiji, where Parkinson is a director. Donor funds must be ethically used at all times and cannot be used for abusing women and girls.
Rahiman-Manuel wrote:
The media and broadcasting industry plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. And in today’s advanced society we can witness and listen to many things from near and afar.
Like many, I have worked in the Pacific long enough and witnessed so much abuse.
In 2017, a group of us investigated many fraudulent practices at the Savusavu’s Town Council. We discovered the abuse on children by the staff of Communications Fiji Ltd (CFL) and one that was openly entertained by the carnival committee. In particular this was by the FM96 and VitiFM teams.
CFL claims to be the largest media company in the South Pacific and has both media and radio stations in Fiji and PNG. We presented an investigation to the Gov. of Fiji and CFL on the open abuse on children (witnessed locally and globally) and one that occurred during the carnival in Savusavu. We made key recommendations. No staff from CFL were laid off despite the evidence.
Yesterday, 5 years on, I came across more abuse from CFL staff and in particular the FM96 team. This time on women. Now, this organization is usually hired to provide media coverage on many issues and as such womens issues. They associate with children in many scenarios and they have full access to many events. They are probably paid for their services or funded by the government and they get used at donor agency events too. They collect revenue from many different stakeholders.
I am a firm believer in speaking up when we see violence against women and children. What we normalize today becomes the distasteful future of our children tomorrow. Broadcasting and media agencies play a vital role and we can learn to hold them accountable professionally, ethically, morally and culturally.
Let’s not forget our horrendous statistics on women and child abuse in Fiji (and PNG). Fiji is a signatory to CEDAW, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and now adopting the UNs Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
I can only request that no one in this team should be allowed near children and vulnerable women. Because the infiltration of abuse keeps growing. Some of this broadcasting happens when children are in public transport everyday. It is deeply unacceptable and unsafe.
Funders and stakeholders who use agencies where women are sexually objectified and children are abused should reconsider their patronage to such organizations. If one continues to use their service then it says alot about their commitment to making any place safe for women and children. Every dollar that you give helps propel more violence today and in future.
I am leaving you with few of the snippets of the concerns in 2017 and what I have seen as of yesterday.
These snippets and images speak a thousand words. Just like the thousand pictures that we sadly create in the minds of the vulnerable when we expose them to such level of vulgarity. Or the thousand drops of lost self esteem and hurt that we create for children when we allow abuse to continue.
End of post.
Guess who was one of the carnival committee members in Savusavu where the children were openly abused? Yes, no other than Stanley Simpson! There you have it Fiji.
Rahima-Manuel’s post is available online at:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ireen-rahiman-manuel-66b25484_the-media-and-broadcasting-industry-plays-activity-7075130509797773313-gaNt?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAABHVi7MBHvB9ZMOwl1BRdi7JSQ3frb5FGWg&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ireen-rahiman-manuel-66b25484_the-media-and-broadcasting-industry-plays-activity-7075957928595230720-t2Fo?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAABHVi7MBHvB9ZMOwl1BRdi7JSQ3frb5FGWg&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link
WE need a reset in Fiji. COUP is needed. I hope some lunatic at Delainabua reads this comment. DO it to save Fiji.