SINGAPORE — The socio-political commentary website Breakfast
Network (BN) announced yesterday that it has decided to shut
down.
In a post on the site last night, Editor Bertha Henson said it was
a “tough” decision to make, but that the site owners needed to
“take a breather and re-organise”.
“We are moving back to blogging and putting our stuff on BN
Facebook. So you can still find us online, but not as a
full-fledged website,” she said.
Last month, after the site owners were notified by the Media
Development (MDA) that they would be required to register the site
under the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification, Ms Henson had
written about the difficulties they would encounter.
As part of the registration, they cannot receive foreign funding
for the website’s provision, management and/or operation.
“We could declare that all revenue came through bona fide
commercial transactions, but we would probably need to produce some
kind of proof if queried.
“Does that make it (registration) a kind of compliance checklist to
ensure we have done due diligence? BN is not even steady on its
feet to start thinking about putting in such administrative
structures,” she wrote in last night’s post.
Ms Henson also pointed out that lawyers and businesspeople who have
seen the registration forms have described them as “onerous”.
The shutdown, however, is temporary.
“We have decided to suspend operations until we have re-strategised
or at least till the amendments to the Broadcasting Act are
unveiled,” said Ms Henson.
For now, she said the website will go back to its original mission
of pro bono writing.
“We think that every citizen should take an interest in what’s
happening in their own country.”
todayonline
is this resisting or succumbing?
