Guardian Media Ltd's television arm, CNC3, yesterday signed a contract with Tribe bandleader Dean Ackin for exclusive television coverage of the Socadrome at the Jean Pierre Complex on Carnival Tuesday.The Socadrome is the venue for the country's newest Carnival Parade of the Bands showplace for five non-competing large bands–Tribe, Bliss, Harts, Yuma and Passion.Confirmation came yesterday from GML managing director Gabriel Faria, who said the event will be broadcast from 8 am to 4 pm.
Faria said the organisers of Socadrome wanted to broadcast the event to the widest possible audience in T&T and selected CNC3 "to give them the reach." Before he signed the contract, CNC3 deputy general manager Nicholas Sabga had been negotiating with Ackin.Faria explained, "We will be taking a feed from Socadrome, and that approved feed will be produced by Carnival TV.
"This really again is another attempt by CNC3 to continue to identify content that consumers want. We also feel we are contributing to Carnival by taking the pressure of the main stage and providing audiences with an alternative."
He said he was not at liberty to reveal the cost of the contract, but said, "What I can say is that the relationship was not driven by financial gain. It was driven by the parties' desire to promote what Socadrome will be doing, and from CNC3's perspective, to provide its audience with a unique opportunity in history...to see Carnival from a different perspective."Before CNC3 signed on the dotted line, Faria said, they had to ensure that Socadrome had met all its approvals and requirements.
The Socadrome was established to alleviate congestion along the traditional parade route to the Queen's Park Savannah.The National Carnival Commission's plans to package TV coverage from the Savannah fell through earlier this month when the bidding process had to be aborted for legal reasons, according to NCC chairman Allison Demas.