Allyson Hennessy passes on
ctntworld.com
Veteran talk show host, Allyson Hennessy, has died.
Ms Hennessy, who was ailing since April, passed away on Saturday 7th May at the St Clair Medical Centre. She was in the Intensive Care Unit at the Centre for the past several weeks.
She was synonymous with State owned Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) during its early years, having interviewed many people from all walks of live including the late Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, pop superstar, Michael Jackson, and many others.
At TTT, she hosted the popular mid-morning programme Community Dateline for several years with other presenters including Wendell Constantine, Judy Alcantara, Lisa Wickham and Judy Chong Dennison, until 2005 when the station closed. She later hosted a talk show on NCC Channel 4, and in 2010, “The Box” on Gayelle the Channel.
In 2009, she was honoured by the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association for her contribution to television in Trinidad and Tobago.
In acknowledging her passing, State-owned Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) said it is profoundly saddened by the death of Ms Hennessy.
A statement from interim CEO, Ken Ali, reads:
"Ms. Hennessy has passed away at a time when CNMG was actively discussing meaningful ways of honouring her vast contribution to Trinidad and Tobago via the State media sector. Indeed, a Committee to make recommendations met as late as Friday morning. The Committee will continue its deliberations, with a view to proposing purposeful means by which CNMG can pay enduring tribute to one of the most respected and admired practitioners in the local electronic media. CNMG fondly remembers Ms. Hennessy for her abiding love of her country, her abundant native spirit, affection for local culture and her overall zest for life. She showcased those attributes for a generation on CNMG’s prior State-owned media enterprise and at a time when a young Trinidad and Tobago nation was finding ways to express its identity, values and aspirations. While Trinidad and Tobago is considerably poorer with the passing of Ms. Hennessy, CNMG is committed to preserving and fostering her tremendous legacy and to endearing it to future generations.Her death – especially taking place mere weeks after the passing of gifted newspaper journalist Keith Smith – has left the media with an irreplaceable absence."
