Two weeks short of completing his first year as chairman of the State-owned Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) Brian Stone has resigned. This was confirmed by acting Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday. "Yes, Mr Stone has resigned," Moonilal, who is also the Minister of Housing and the Environment, said yesterday. Foreign Affairs and Communications Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, who returned to T&T this weekend, also confirmed Stone's resignation. "I received the resignation letter," Rambachan said.
Stone was appointed almost a year ago by the People's Partnership Government. A well-known former media manager is highly tipped to replace Stone as the new chairman of CNMG shortly. Stone's resignation letter was submitted to Rambachan on Friday. On assuming the CNMG chairmanship last February, Stone said he intended to manage the company with a "firm grip." "We intend to fast-track the board getting a firm grip on CNMG," he added. Stone served previously as head of the Association of Independent Media Workers, which was formed in 2011to rival the Media Association of T&T.
Other CNMG directors appointed last year were deputy chairman Liana Ramsahai, Certica Williams-Orr, Ronald Rattan, Faied Mohammed, Kevan Gibbs, Sharon King, Maukesh Basdeo, Minister in the National Security Ministry Colin Partap and Thokozile James. Eight months later, in October 2011, James resigned because of "irreconcilable differences" with Stone. A week earlier, CNMG's head of sales and marketing, Anika Aleong, quit her job because of a "complete breakdown of trust and confidence in CNMG's management." And last week Wednesday, Human Resource Manager Gemma Murray was asked to quit. Sources said she was asked to leave because of performance, and her leaving was not related to Stone's departure.