NTN to refashion Media Landscape in Saint Lucia

Contact: John Emmanuel

Monday, October 15, 2001 - A significant change in Saint Lucia’s media landscape occurred on the weekend with the official launch of the island’s latest broadcast entity. Prime Minister and Minister of Information and Broadcasting,  Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony, has described the start-up of the National Television Network (NTN) as an inextricable commitment on the part of government in support of public service broadcasting.

According to Dr. Anthony, a number of critical factors contributed to government’s endorsement of the proposal to set up the network. Among them, a lack of educational programmes and features that challenged the intellectual and creative capacities of St. Lucians, the unbridled use of the media as a platform for the propaganda of political and economic interests, and a seemingly cavalier attitude exhibited by media managers.

“In spite of the increased investment in the information services, government must continue to listen to people and provide the communications channels that will facilitate good governance. This means that government must respond to the calls to address imbalances in the media, make use of the new technology to guarantee wider public participation in national development, provide opportunities for new groups of people to speak on all issues and share information which would assist our country to adjust to the demands of globalisation without suffering marginalisation. NTN was borne out of the need to provide more accurate and timely information on the operations of the public sector organizations and the achievement of the various ministries of government,” Dr. Anthony told his audience.

The network will among other things provide alternative programmes in public television, increase the volume of local programming by an estimated 200%, provide opportunities for local producers, communities and organizations to tell their stories and serve as a feedback mechanism for public sector agencies and national organizations.

Major emphasis will also be placed on national events such as Independence celebrations, Emancipation and Heroes Day, cultural festivals like Jounen Kweyol and carnival, House of Assembly sittings, and press conferences with government ministries.

Dr. Anthony said: “While we are focused on the promotion of our culture and the images of our people in the Caribbean and around the world, we will not imprison ourselves into any myopic vision of our own heritage, while the world turns around us. Therefore NTN will promote the appropriate programmes to encourage broad and informed debate about the widest range of issues from health to crime prevention, from tourism and the natural environment to the global economy and from industrial relations to sports and human resources development.” 

The launching of NTN is also expected to stimulate employment in the entire media production sector. Government, Dr. Anthony said, would not promote the control of information except in cases of national emergency. However, he pointed to the need to ensure that the “terror” of misinformation, uninformed editorial judgement and abuse of helpless individuals and organizations does not become part of the new climate of free expression.

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