The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) wishes to address concerns expressed by G Walters in a letter to the editor, headlined "Radio stations still not compliant" (Guardian, April 14).
Walters referred to his previous letter to the editor regarding broadcast coverage in Tobago and a subsequent response from TATT's executive director (Ag) which had pointed to the fact that a preliminary audit was conducted by TATT and discussions with broadcasters were then underway in order to determine the best course of action to deal with the matter. The course of action would have been determined upon the comple- tion of a comprehensive technical audit at the end of September 2010.
The comprehensive technical audit was, in fact, completed in September which highlighted key issues affecting the inability of broadcasters to achieve full coverage of Tobago. It was also identified that the topography of Tobago, which features a central mountain range spanning the length of the island while most of the population resides in the foothills and valleys, was also a major barrier to the propagation of signals to several parts of the island. Appropriate technology has been identified to mitigate the propagation challenges faced by broadcasters but the cost of this technology is somewhat prohibitive. This notwithstanding, TATT is in discussions with the representative broadcasting body (T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association) in order to seek solutions to the problem of coverage in Tobago.
Recognising the challenges faced by residents of Tobago and in order to make greater broadcast content available to Tobago, TATT recently issued a request for proposals for a concession to provide a minor territorial "free to air" FM radio broadcasting service for Tobago in the FM frequency 89.5 MHz. This service will be targeted to Tobago only. The closing date for the submission of proposals is May 6. TATT is hopeful that this current process, which should be completed by September, would result in the granting of a concession for the establishment of an additional radio station to better serve the needs of Tobago.
Cris Seecheran
Executive director (Ag), TATT