Sell CNMG, says ex-journalist Cuffie
Originally printed at
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Sell_CNMG__says_ex-journalist_Cuffie-107113958.htmlBy Aabida Allaham
November 10, 2009
Put the Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) up for sale.
That's the call being made by former chief executive officer of Government Information Services Ltd (GISL) Maxie Cuffie.
His proposal comes in the wake of the dismissal of First Up talk-show host Fazeer Mohammed from the company last Saturday.
Speaking with the Express via telephone yesterday, Cuffie said the sale of CNMG would be a viable move by the Government, which also owns the GISL.
"Government should sell CNMG. It has no strategic value. It has no importance," he said.
"The Government has no business owning a media house and I strongly believe that the country and the employees of CNMG will be better off if it was sold. In fact, I would prescribe it. GISL serves the purpose they need... and this has been my consistent position since before this administration took office."
The former journalist, who is also a former president of the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT), said Mohammed was one of the best morning show presenters in the country and, with his firing, the company could lose money.
"First Up was one of the most competitive programmes among all the other morning show programmes and it was partly due to Fazeer," he said.
"I also know for a fact that other media houses have tried to procure Fazeer away from CNMG. CNMG has just begun to see some profitability because of programmes like First Up."
However, Julian Rogers, a former head of news at CNMG, said he would not say "sell" the media house, but if the "private sector is ready and wants it, then yes" because CNMG has not been successful in achieving its mandate as a "flagship media enterprise".
Rogers—who was part of the original team set up to "revolutionise" the media industry in Trinidad and Tobago with the rebranding of the Trinidad and Tobago Television Company (TTT) into CNMG—was speaking via telephone from Barbados.
He said at that time, he felt the Government had the wherewithal to establish a media industry" that "drew on technology and drew on the professionals in the industry to create something that surpassed all other media houses throughout the region".
CNMG interim CEO Ken Ali has cited cost-cutting measures as the reason for Mohammed's dismissal. But many citizens questioned the move because of its timing—it came one day after a discussion between Mohammed and Foreign Affairs Minister Surujrattan Rambachan about Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar being a woman in a leadership position.
Andy Johnson, current GISL CEO and former TV6 Morning Edition host, has been presenting the First Up morning show since Mohammed's dismissal. When asked yesterday whether or not he was being paid to host the programme, he said: "I do not want to comment on that issue."
Acting Prime Minister Winston Dookeran said he is looking into the matter because he does not have all the facts. He was not aware of any cost-cutting exercises at the State-owned company.
Yesterday, rumours also circulated that TV6 investigative reporter Sasha Mohammed was tipped for the position of head of news at CNMG.She denied any such appointment, but confirmed that she had resigned from the Caribbean Communications Network (CCN) TV6, with effect from December 31. Mohammed said she was embarking on 35 days' vacation leave following the handing in of her resignation.
CNMG falls under the direct responsibility of the Prime Minister.
Without a functioning board in place, the line Minister—which in this case is Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar—has the sole right to decide what should and should not happen in the State-owned company.
