The Editor speaks: Government, Compass and TV Community Based News
With government, or rather our premier, forcing the closing down of the only free over the air television broadcast station and the only one with local televised news, CITN/Cayman27, we are ‘happy’ to be able to report that once again you can now watch local news.
The premier promised he had a solution and he has just announced that his government station, CIGTV, will now carry local news. Actually, the wording from the premier’s Press Release says it is “community based news content”.
What precisely does that mean?
Now that the Compass does not carry any Editorials since the departure of David Legge, who once feared for his life and left our peaceful islands in a hurry, a few years ago, after upsetting our premier, all is now forgiven.
The Cayman Islands Government TV (CIGTV) has come to an agreement with the Cayman Compass to share community based news content.
Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin said “I’m very happy that an agreement has been reached with the Cayman Compass.
“The agreement enables CIGTV and Compass Media to create and promote a sense of community, providing access for more people to community news through print, broadcast and digital platforms.”
Isn’t that nice?
Cayman Compass publisher Kathleen Capetta said: “We are thrilled to be working collaboratively with the Government to bring important independent community news to a wider audience.”
Donna Bush (who once worked as News Director and Anchor at CITN/Cayman27) and is now CIGTV News Director, is excited at the new venture and said it will enable us (CIGTV) “to bring even more community based content to our viewers”.
And all of this is not going to cost us one bit. “Whilst it is a positive effort to fill a media void in terms of community content, Government is not subsidising or paying for any of the content.”
The release did not mention CITN/Cayman27 by Name. It just said “the recent closure of a local television station.”
Hush! Shhush!! Marl Road gossip? I really do believe they are referring to CITN/Cayman 27.
I hope I am quickly sent a note by all the above parties correcting my assumption if I am wrong.
You can find out how to access CIGTV by reading the release that we have published today under the title “CIGTV collaborates with Compass to share their content”.
We can all go down to “Peppers” next Friday and Saturday night and ‘swing our engines’ to the community based musical content that they share down there, on the West Bay Road, to show our delight at this welcome news.
The content-sharing arrangement with Compass will begin on Monday 7th October. The release didn’t say exactly at what time of the day/ evening or night…. better tune in all day. You don’t want to miss this community based news show.
Whaaaat? The Caymans HAD a station, CITN/Cayman27, that already “promoted a sense of community, provided access for people to community news through broadcast and digital platforms.” So the island saw the destruction, the termination, of a fine service, to be replaced by a government-sponsored arrangement? Methinks there’s something that smells of 3-day-old fish….
I worked in various roles connected to print media for over 30 years. As a council press officer, I more than once found my employer on the receiving end of some pretty harsh (and often well-deserved) editorial criticism. When I changed sides, my new employer was the same provincial newspaper that had been handing out those brickbats. Editorial comments are, in my opinion, a necessary part of life. They provoke public interest in matters that might otherwise have gone unnoticed and they serve as a warning to public and private sector that someone is out there keeping an eye on their activities.
Bluntly, a daily newspaper (particularly when it’s the only one in the country) without editorials is a bit like a bull without testicles. It looks impressive but when it comes down to any real action hasn’t got the right equipment to deliver the goods.
As for the Compass providing the news feed for CIG? The word ‘Pravda’ comes to mind.