Global
- Amongst
the self-congratulatory
accolades, a somewhat remarkable
bit of information
was revealed
as When Steel
Talks (WST)
took in the
press conference
as Trinidad
and Tobago ministers
gave their post-carnival
summary.
Not being in
a position to
pose any key
questions, WST
sat and listened.
And listened.
You know the
old adage, talk
less, listen
more, learn
a lot.
Mind you, WST
was only listening
in to see if
there would
be any follow-up
or mention,
of the
internet/Pay-Per-View
debacle
over last weekend.
There was none.
Have you ever
wondered how
much is Carnival
worth on the
open market,
or more specifically,
in our followers’
and readers’
case - how much
are the exclusive
broadcasting
rights for Trinidad
and Tobago National
Panorama worth?
And arguably,
according to
stakeholders,
these are broadcast
rights to the
greatest carnival
and steelband
music panorama
on the planet.
According to
Trinidad and
Tobago Information
Minister Neil
Parsanlal, the
exclusive broadcast
rights of Carnival
2010 were secured
for a measly
TT $500,000
- $79,744 USD.
No - that is
not a typo.
These rights
encompassed
specifically
the three main
components of
Trinidad and
Tobago carnival
- Pan, Mas and
Calypso.
In this post-Cabinet
press conference
on February
18 at the Diplomatic
Centre in St.
Ann’s, north
Trinidad,
Information
Minister Parsanlal
(pictured)
went on to say
in the question-and-answer
period that
followed,
quote
“there was no
- it wasn’t
an open bid
- [bidding
process];
that in fact
the special
interest groups
[Pan
Trinbago, TUCO,
NCC and NCBA]
approached CNMG
(state-owned
Caribbean New
Media Group)
on the matter
[to give
CNMG the exclusive
rights]."
This, coming
out of the press
conference,
and preceded
just before,
with the explanation
that the special
interest groups
had "sold" the
rights to CNMG.
TUCO is the
Trinbago Unified
Calypsonians
Organization,
NCC - the National
Carnival Commission
and NCBA - the
National Carnival
Bands Association.
Minister Parsanlal
also explained
that the agreed
upon five hundred
thousand dollars
(TT $500,000
- $79,744 USD)
would be disbursed
to the NCC,
Pan Trinbago,
TUCO and NCBA
- and apportioned
as determined
by the parties
themselves.
CNMG made TT
$125,000 from
the licensing
of broadcast
rights to other
media houses.
The minister
said he would
not divulge
what CNMG made
in advertising
revenue, but
added that there
were production
costs incurred
in the amount
of 1.5 million
(TT $1,500,000)
for the entire
carnival season.
The minister
further revealed
that the original
asking price
by the interest
groups/stakeholders
(Pan Trinbago
et al) for the
broadcasting
rights - was
3 million (TT
$3,000,000 -
$482,315 USD).
CNMG eventually
secured all
- for only TT
$500,000.
A reporter on
hand challenged
Minister Parsanlal
about the low
figure of the
paltry TT$500,000,
also noting
that perhaps
Pan Trinbago
et al (the interest
groups), may
have gotten
more money for
their broadcast
rights, if there
was an open
bidding.
Parsanlal admitted
(since there
was no such
process) in
part: "we don't
know"
if any other
local media
house in Trinidad
& Tobago would
have paid three
million $3,000,000.
During and following
the CMNG’s ill-fated
attempt to broadcast
the Soca Monarch
and Panorama
events, many
of the online
followers of
CNMG/CTNTWorld’s
own Facebook
connect stream,
joked that next
year’s road
march in Trinidad
for Carnival
would be named
"Buffering"
because of the
constant breaking
down and sticking
of the CNMG
event feeds
- for some of
those paid subscribers
who even got
a smattering
of a stream,
that is.
However after
this new revelation
as to how cheaply
the broadcasting
rights were
acquired, it
could very well
be a different
or additional
topic. TT $500,
000 for the
exclusive broadcast
rights?
Talk about taking
candy from a
baby...
Can someone
please
contact,
Verizon Fios,
HBO,
Showtime,
MTV, VH1,
NBC
Entertainment,
BBC
Entertainment,
China,
Japan?
Food for thought:
at TT $125,000.00
- technically
speaking - either
of even the three
last placed
steel orchestras
in the finals
of this year's
Medium band
category in
Panorama - could
have bought
at least the
broadcasting
rights for the
Panorama.
After all, that
appears in the
vicinity of
what Pan Trinbago
stands to collect
for selling
their broadcasting
rights.
The prizes won
by those three
last-placed
bands?
TT
$250,000 - each.
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