Steelpan Body gave/sold broadcast rights to CNMG - Panorama exclusive broadcast rights only worth TT$125,000 and TnT Carnival overall TT$500,000?

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Amongst the self-congratulatory accolades, a somewhat remarkable bit of information was revealed as When Steel Talks (WST) took in the press conference as Trinidad and Tobago ministers gave their post-carnival summary. Not being in a position to pose any key questions, WST sat and listened. And listened. You know the old adage, talk less, listen more, learn a lot. Mind you, WST was only listening in to see if there would be any follow-up or mention, of the internet/Pay-Per-View debacle over last weekend. There was none.
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  • What needs to be done beforehand, is to implement a quality system for the  yearly panorama competition. Make it authentic. Large bands only for the competition. The nonsense broadcasting today will not  achieve positive foreign exchange we can depend on yearly. May start good, then flop, if proper system not in place. Presently is only Caribbean audience outside of TT interested in pan, not much white people. We need to encourage more white people to be hooked.

  • "...dey too bright...!
  • WST there seems to be a misunderstanding here, the actual cost for the overall broadcast rights for Carnival as stated by the Minister was TT$2million. TT$500,000 was disbursed to the 3 interest groups and the NCC. While I may have a problem with the figure, I understand why it is so low. More than that however I am happy that we are moving in this direction.

    You may or may not know that in this country the media houses usually charge you to broadcast your event as opposed to the real world where the Broadcaster evaluates the value of your product, bids for the broadcast rights and then puts their marketing plan in place to make a profit on the product.

    All I have to say to the local broadcasters who are complaining is, welcome to the real world. CNMG you are moving in the right direction, the sum is still low, but the idea is right. The situation will only change when the media houses change their "culture" and become more competitive in their bidding for broadcast rights.
    • Keith I am curious as to why you see this as positive situation? How can the Trinidad and Tobago media houses be more competitive in their bidding if they were not part of the bidding process? Why did the stake holders not offer the rights to an American media company or neighboring Caribbean media operation or government?

      If this is about the most money fro your product, why not do just that? It would appear the Trinidad government is the last place you would offer your right to? Don't you think there is a major conflict of interest here?

      bugs
      • I so agree with you Bugs. But it seems like we live in a mini communist society the government of the day wants to control everything. Have anyone noticed how illiterate the some of the commentators covering some of the events were to the history of the various enter-ties. Wrong information on Steelbands Mass Calypsonians etc. Not to mention the comments of steelband performances lucky I had the panel of more experiences people like Pat Bishop on the air wares to listen to. The government need to financially assist culture and leave the groups to organise stuff for themselves without bias and malice behaviour.
    • Mr. Carter:

      Please pay attention. I did, when I was looking at CTNTWorld, when minister Marlene McD. gave her official address, and then the other two ministers had their say, and took questions after. Now If you saw the press conference, and listened attentively, then you would perhaps know the following.

      According to the minister, the broadcast rights were bought by CNMG - and will be paid out to the interest groups, in the amount of $500,000. That's going to be their "income." This is what they were "negotiated" down to.

      Production costs as footed by CNMG, which have absolutely nothing, nothing at all, to do with the 500,000 - were one and a half million.

      There is no such thing as "overall broadcast RIGHTS" as you put it costing 2 million. That is not how the calculation is done.

      Secondly, your comment about the "local broadcasters who are complaining" is also inaccurate. There was NEVER A BIDDING PROCESS ALLOWED. So said the minister again, in his own words at the press conference - the WST people put that in their article, to make that clear. So the local broadcasters who are complaining, whoever they are, never got a chance to throw their hat in the ring to bid.

      Is this so hard for you to understand? It was plain english. The misunderstanding is on your part.
      • Hi Korey, my bad, the misunderstanding was on my part. I went over the article again and yes you are right about the $500,000 payment. Unfortunately I was a little misled by the headline in the Express "CNMG: It cost us $2m for the broadcast". Secondly, while I agree that the process should be open to tender as in the real world, I may be wrong but I do not remember the local broadcasters complaining that there was no tendering process, they expected business as usual.

        Bugs, I agree with you that the bidding should be competitive, and not be in the hands of the Government. As I said before I do not agree with the sum paid, but in principle do you not think that it is time that the interest groups become self sufficient. Would it not be nice for Pan Trinbago (or TUCO, or the NCBA) to say that based on our income from broadcast rights and sponsorship we achieved a profit of $5million on all our shows? Or don't we believe in self sufficiency.

        My point is simple, in the real world broadcast rights amount to the most significant revenue stream for producers, followed by sponsorship and whether there are collective bids or individual negotiations for the rights to broadcast the greatest show on earth, this I maintain is the direction in which we should be heading.

        KC
        • KC who would not want self sufficiency for Pan Trinbago? So, again, why would Pan Trinbago sell or give its broadcasting rights away for peanuts?

          bugs
          • because they have the goverment money to spend . and the bands accept the little they are getting
          • Hi Bugs, I do not agree that any of the interest groups Pan Trinbago, TUCO or the NCBA should give their rights away for peanuts. I however agree with the principle of the thing. What the interest groups need to do is (that is if they do not have it already) secure persons with the knowledge and skills to negotiate with the Broadcasters or open for tender - whatever method they choose - the rights to Broadcast their shows during Carnival. The package will also include sponsorship rights, pay per view and downstream packages of programmes for sale, the full works.

            Until they show the aptitude and the "cojones" necessary to take their organisations in that direction then the Government is going to continue taking the initiative. Once they continue going cap-in-hand to the Culture Ministry for funds year after year, then I say "who pays the piper, calls the tune".

            KC
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