Sword confirms administration pays for weekly press conference

Radio owner and broadcaster Gary Sword confirmed Friday that their radio station, KKMP, receives $500 for hosting weekly Zoom press conference with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, the COVID-19 Task Force, and other administration officials, plus $300 for rerunning the press conference.

In response to an inquiry during the radio press conference, Sword said they have a business license and pay their taxes just like everybody else.

“We have a rate sheet. You’re free to look at it to show that we’re not overcharging the government,” said Sword.

In fact, he said, they’re charging less than what they would have charged those who don’t have a long-term commitment to their services.

“We’re a business. We do sales, we promote,” he said.

Sword said he does not have to report to the media that their press conference is a paid conference.

He said the weekly press conference was just supposed to be just him or KKMP, but he decided it’s good to open it up to everybody else so that everybody can have the same information.

Sword said everybody is free to ask questions as they never prevent anyone from raising any questions.

“So it’s an open forum,” said Sword, adding that if any reporter feels that he/she should be in the conference because he or she is not getting paid, that’s fine with him.

He also emphasized that the government does not have a radio station and that they are broadcasting the press conference islandwide beside the Zoom and Facebook broadcasts.

Torres underscored the importance of having the weekly press briefing at a radio station as the CNMI is still in the pandemic.

Torres also defended hiring six people for the administration’s media team. “We have different avenues on how to showcase what we do in the administration,” said the governor, adding that all six are local talents and come from different backgrounds.

“It’s time for them to showcase what they know and how to do social media, not just social media, but actual work that we do here in the government. And that comes also with press releases and other media issues,” Torres said.

He said there is nothing wrong with having this press conference at KKMP in making sure that the community knows more about the COVID-19 situation and other things that’s going on with the government.

The governor pointed out that KKMP was the only radio that was up and running during and after Super Typhoon Yutu, so the government managed to do public information moving forward. He said KKMP was also always there since the start of the pandemic.

“And…we want to make sure that this information is disseminated the right way,” Torres said.

The governor said he did actually reached out to some radio stations, but they said they could not accommodate this weekly press conferences.

“It’s definitely a good way for me and the government to push out information with our media team here,” he said.

Torres said the media partners have done a phenomenal job in going out to the community in showcasing what the COVID-19 Task Force and the administration are doing for the community and other activities, whether it’s on Rota and Tinian.

“I can’t expect KKMP to follow me or go to Rota or Tinian to do social media or public information, they’re radio broadcast. And this [press briefing] is an avenue for me and for the government to call reporters at one time and get interviewed,” Torres added.

Torres and Sword were responding to a KUAM report about the administration paying KKMP to host the press conference.