President of the T&T Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) Kiran Maharaj says advances in technology will spell trouble for the local media in its present form and is calling on all players to put up a united front to guarantee the industry's survival. She admitted that her ideals, in relation to "uniting" would, on her part, be both "presumptuous" and "utopian", but declared, "the truth is we can learn from each other's experiences and address several issues as one group."
Delivering the feature address at Friday's Sixth Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony for Media Excellence presented by the TTPBA at the Ballroom of the Queen's Park Oval, Tragarete Road, Port-of-Spain, she said the new media landscape referred to new media words and cyberspace destinations such as You Tube, Facebook, My Space Twitter or Blog Talk radio. "Do you know that the latest statistics show that there are 184 million bloggers and 45 per cent of them have started their own blogs? she asked.
"Our challenge is, how do we take our media brands that become less defined by the traditional platform, listen to our communities to gain insights and predict their needs or wants and merge that with social media to create value added for our audiences. "I see it as a matter of creating the space we have to produce an efficient and effective symbiotic communications model." In an effort to advance her unity cause, Maharaj reflected on the successes the TTPBA had on its members.
These were:
Agreement on terms and conditions with the Copyright Organisation of T&T (Cott); working MOU with the Advertising Agencies Association of T&T; monitor and control receivables as a joint association; and work with stakeholders (including government) on the Broadcast Code and other industry related matters.
The rise of the Internet as a preferred source of news and information for both youths and adults did not escape Maharaj's attention, citing that in the United States, newspapers were closing daily and those that were alive were trying to survive by cutting back on staff and other operational expenses. "If fact, the Internet allows anyone to start a media house in their bedroom; all you need is a laptop and webcam and you can package newspaper, radio and television.
"We are at the growth stage of our existence as an association. How do we improve what we have? What is the next big step for us all? Where will our industry be in five years?" she asked. Maharaj predicted that retooling of staff would be the highlight on TTPBA members agenda to ensure that their respective media establishments are equipped to survive another decade. But she made it clear that this could only be possible if company executives were more involved attentive to the people they had responsibility for and who have responsibility to the sector.
"There seems to be a new level of understanding within our sector and those affected by it," she said. "The time is ripe for talk and creative discussion. It is no longer a time when we write letter after letter and await responses–this is too dynamic an environment and circumstances change daily." Not forgetting the true intent of the evening's function Maharaj, lauded the contribution of awardees Allyson Hennessy, Hans Hanoomansingh and the late Dunstan Williams, a former T&T Guardian cartoonist.
