Merle Albino-De Coteau shines as Panorama 2013 commentator
- Vibe CT 105.1 FM delivers the goods

Global - Two radio stations carried live, portions of the Trinidad and Tobago Panorama semi-finals dedicated to the Small steel orchestra and Single Pan categories on Saturday January 26 - the first of the two-day Semi-final steelband bonanza at “The Big Yard” in the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. The radio stations are i95.5 FM and Vibe CT 105.1 FM; they were live on the internet for the world to listen. i95.5 FM covered most of the Single Pan performances, but ducked out at 9:00 p.m. for other commitments, right before the Small steel orchestras took the stage. Vibe CT 105.1 FM officially began broadcasting at 6:00 p.m. and carried the show until the sixteenth out of twenty bands, through 1:30 a.m. Trinidad-Tobago time.

Merle Albino-de Coteau

While it is true that beggars cannot be choosers, in this case when the two stations overlapped in coverage there was only one real choice. That was Vibe CT 105.1 FM which was clearly superior. For reasons unknown to us i95.5 FM’s broadcast was limited to a single channel. The audio quality of 105.1 FM was vastly superior.  i95.5 FM had unexplained technical difficulties that simply should not be happening in the year 2013. Both stations provided veteran commentators, however Mrs. Merle Albino-De Coteau on Vibe CT 105.1 FM gave a “ready for prime time” performance. Mrs. Albino-De Coteau - a Panorama judge in her own right - provided thoughtful, useful and accurate information and insight into both the performances and judging mindset.

Quite frankly Mrs. Albino-De Coteau and her fellow broadcaster Kurt Williams worked real well together for the benefit of their international listeners online; overall, Vibe CT 105.1 FM won the Panorama broadcast review on this night. It wasn’t even close.

Click for WST’s Trinidad and Tobago Panorama 2013 coverage