For people used to spending Carnival Friday night watching Soca Monarch on television, those hours on February 5, 2016 will remain an extended new entertainment slot to be filled.
This is the consequence of the decision by Caribbean Prestige Foundation to make “Fantastic Friday” no longer a live spectacular beamed into T&T homes.
Instead, Soca Monarch will become a Carnival Saturday night “package” available to paying viewers.
Carnival, long needing new management approaches and experimentation, has been rolling along as a signature expression of state-supported T&T self-indulgence.
Empty seats in the Grand Stand have signalled diminishing drawing power of even classic events such as Panorama, Dimanche Gras, Kings and Queens of the Bands, and the Parade of the Bands.
Live audiences have voted with their feet in favour of other Carnival experiences or, indeed, none at all.
Meanwhile, a private sector-driven venue in west Port of Spain has appeared as a response to widely felt fatigue over the officially blessed model anchored in tradition and effectively dedicated to serving the interests of calypso, mas and pan retainer groups.
Private initiative and entrepreneurship have brought a dynamic element to Carnival. The two most salient expressions of this—the Soca Monarch and Chutney Soca Monarch extravaganzas—have, however, enjoyed State financial support.
In this respect, the modern Carnival operates as a partnership between public and private sector efforts at funding, organisation and management.
In the context of Carnival 2016 State funding cutbacks, private sector partners and beneficiaries are challenged to make their products realise their potential in financial returns. It's all the more relevant to today's economic urgencies if such returns can be counted in foreign exchange.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160104/editorial/soca-monarch-must-avoid-conflict-with-panorama
Replies
The fact that there is no more live coverage of the annual Soca Monarch aka Fantastic Friday is an opportunity for Pan Trinbago to be innovative and step up their game in Saturday's Panorama Finals.This is why I encourage younger minds as members or the Pan body because 80% of pan players today are the younger generation. For the past two years Panorama Finals on Saturday one of the announcers on Carnival TV live coverage was a talented Trinidad Jazz artist name Ettienne Charles(a former Phase II pan player) who is based in the US . He made some great points and have some great ideas to improve Panorama and the Pan Body should take him serious if they want to move forward.
Soca Monarch as pay per view will attract only a limited audience which may not affect Panorama viewing negatively if at all and may actually be better for Panorama attendance.
The live audience for carnival presentations is dwindling because the price charged has gone ahead of improvements in the programs.
If the admission charge is reduced (or the quality of the presentations) more people may attend.
People who went to the soca monarch will not pay to see it broadcast and others will still view panorama because it's free.
This year especially people will be curtailing their spending and $300 and $400 priced tickets will not be on the menu.
It's the same thing they do with our football, charge too much and the stadium remains empty. Charge less and fill up the place, then as the thing improves gradually increase the fees.
People prefer to go on the track rather than paying a lot of money for a long drawn out show that is not exciting. Or just stay at home and watch it on TV.
Improve the product, reduce the entrance fee and more people will attend. More people means more profit especially for the vendors and others who depend on these shows to make a dollar at carnival time.
High admission charges and things like pay per view work against the 'small man' and only promoters benefit.
MONETISING WHAT???? That show cannot sell outside of Trinidad. The NOSTALGIA MARKET will buy a few subscriptions but not enough to realize a BREAK EVEN, The MYTH that we have CONTENT that the world wants to see in PAN, CALYPSO and SOCA is just bait to extract more GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.
How many years has PANTRINBAGO promised SELF SUFFICIENCY and yet they stretch their hands out every year to the GOVERNMENT begging for handouts which they use for PERSONAL GAINS first and EVENTS SECOND?
Wake up FORUMITES. All the old men on this forum will die before any change or progress comes. And I include myself!!!
Wait one minute Claude all is not lost. Mr. Diaz says Pan Trinbago will become self sufficient after they are granted a Lotto license. check out the video on his grand plans for the future. https://whensteeltalks.ning.com/forum/topics/plans-for-the-carnival-...
Bugs: I have not listened to the video (as yet) but quite a clever trick by Diaz. I am sure that he can run circles around the school girl MINISTER and get her to set up the LOTTO for him. He is FIVE MILLION DOLLARS in debt incurred when MONEY WAS RUNNING. He needs the LOTTO to clear that debt and then he could REALLY START TEEFING MILLIONS -- AGAIN.
I always praise Diaz as being TOO SMART FOR TRINIDAD!!! ALL PRAISES TO DIAZ!!!
Claude
After listening to that video I left with the feeling that the minister was truly over matched. One good thing is I heard from a good source that her office checks out this forum regularly, so she wont be able to say she didn't know.
bugs
Bugs: I am trusting your GOOD SOURCE. So we have to keep the PANTRINBAGO discussion alive on this forum.