The T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTBPA), comprising television and radio stations, is quietly becoming an anti-government political party, a well-placed Government source is alleging."The TTPBA has taken an adversarial position against the Government without merit," the source said.The source was responding to questions from the T&T Guardian about the growing war between the TTPBA and the Government over the use of airtime.Broadcasters who are granted licences to operate by the Telecommunications Authority are required to allow the Government to air programmes of public interest for a short time each day. The TTPBA wants to determine what constitutes public interest before it runs the programmes.
The association's latest quarrel centres around Ken Ali, CEO of state-owned Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG).In a statement yesterday, the TTPBA criticised Ali for saying the association had a secret agenda and charged him with misrepresenting and attacking it."The TTPBA wishes to state it has no secret agenda as stated by Mr Ken Ali. We are surprised at his attacks on the TTPBA, more so since he has never once attended a meeting."If Mr Ali believes the TTPBA has a secret agenda we question why he never raised this with the association."We find his recent comments distasteful, particularly since he has never shown any interest in participating in the events or initiatives of the association."
The TTPBA admitted a CNMG representative did attend a recent meeting. The release claimed the representative, Krispin Thomas, head of engineering and IT at CNMG, said he could not give an opinion on the issue being discussed since the station, as a state-run enterprise, receives instructions from the Government.The TTPBA said it respects this position and never before had unfounded allegations against it by any CEO of the state-run entity. CNMG was formerly the National Broadcasting Network under previous political administrations.
It said the TTPBA continues to collaborate with the government, state agencies and ministries where possible and recalled its recent involvement with the Ministry of Transport's Road Safety initiative and continued discussions with the Telecom Authority on the broadcast code and digital television transition."We are very concerned about the number of glaring issues that seem to suggest all is not well with our democracy."We ask that the Government closely examine its role to ensure its spokespersons are held to the same standards as media practitioners," the release said.
Ali responds
The T&T Guardian contacted Ali who said he finds the TTPBA's statements about him "preposterous" because it is skirting what is the real issue."The salient issue is that a bona fide representative of a state media was asked to leave a meeting without being given a reason," Ali said."CNMG is a member of the TTPBA and he was entitled to attend that meeting."I am asking the TTPBA to say why he was asked to leave, what it is they had to discuss that had to be out of earshot. The association has not responded." Ali said he has his speculations about why, based on the recent murmurings of the TTPBA.He said whether he attends TTPBA meetings or not in person is irrelevant. CNMG has not only attended TTPBA meetings but fully participated in its activities, Ali claimed.TTPBA president Kiran Maharaj said she was in a meeting when contacted for a response. She said the press release she sent yesterday stated all she had to say.