VICE president of 94.1 FM, O’ Brien Haynes, yesterday made it clear that the company’s action to suspend two members of staff was not taken because of a visit by Prime Minister Patrick Manning to the station.

’The facts are simple. I think that two wrongs don’t make a right,’ he told the Express in a telephone interview.

’A presenter and newscaster acted in a manner that was unprofessional and not accepted by the company. We have standards which we’ve been following for the last three years and they broke that. News should be taken with respect because it deals with the facts.’

Haynes added that the employees, who were suspended for two weeks, will be back out to work next Friday.

Manning reportedly visited the privately-owned radio station on October 25 and complained about comments made during the 12.25 p.m. newscast. A newscaster and a presenter were subsequently suspended by the radio station’s management.

According to reports, the two employees were reading an article about the increase in the price of premium gas when they allegedly said the money would be used to purchase the vehicles for the upcoming summits.

Yesterday, former CCN chairman Ken Gordon also said the Prime Minister’s response to this situation was unfortunate.

’While the unprofessional conduct of the radio station may have been provocative and perhaps even offensive, the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago guarantees the freedom with which the media is expected to operate,’ Gordon explained.

’This does not of course mean that that freedom should be abused. When excesses occur they should be addressed, but Mr Manning’s Government has chosen not to do so in the past. Instead unbridled misconduct and violation of the air waves by some radio stations has become the norm ... and that really is the much greater problem.’

He added, ’What is certain is that the ad hoc intervention we have seen from Mr Manning, based on personal indignation, is not the way to go and is wrong. It is inconsistent with good governance, unworthy of the democracy to which we subscribe and was clearly intended to be intimidatory.’

Dale Enoch, head of news at Citadel Limited (I 95.5 FM and Red 96.7 FM) described the Prime Minister’s action as ’unprecedented and totally out of line’.

’I find it very vexing. The Prime Minister was wrong, that’s the bottom line. That is real crazy man behaviour,’ Enoch told the Express during a telephone interview.

’The Prime Minister had and has other options available to him which he could use.’

As for the comments made by the employees, Enoch said: ’News is news. Commentary is commentary. Boom Champions has to fix that. But there is no justification for any Prime Minister to make that kind of intervention. I don’t believe he went in there with a huff and a puff, but I think just his presence is enough to lead to intervention. He is totally out of line.’