LIME Jamaica says it will launch subscriber television service, called LIME TV, within the next four months. This afternoon, Chris Dehring, the telecommunication company’s chairman said that the new service will lead LIME’s drive to recapture its market share in Jamaica and strengthen its presence in the other 12 markets it operates in throughout the Caribbean. “We brought the first... 

By Ben Meade ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The Grenada government on Monday emphasised that the small states of the region have no choice but to work together to face the challenges that confront them, with a member of the Tillman Thomas administration challenging journalists to tell their audiences more about the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME). “Let me begin... 

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Publisher and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Nation  Publishing Co. Limited, Vivian-Anne Gittens, has announced the appointment of prominent Barbadian and Caribbean journalist, Kaymar Jordan, to the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Nation newspaper. Jordan, currently the Director of News and Current Affairs at the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), officially... 

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC — Bermuda is to appoint a new Information Commissioner by the end of the year after legislators late Friday night approved a long-promised Freedom of Information Bill. Premier Ewart Brown, announcing that an Information Commissioner would be appointed by the end of December, told parliamentarians that the public could expect the new legislation to be implemented within... 

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – The Bermuda government has withdrawn the controversial legislation that would have allowed for the establishment of a self-regulating code of conduct for the media. Premier Ewart Brown told legislators earlier this week that his administration was withdrawing the Media Council Act 2010 that was tabled in the parliament in May. The Media Council of Bermuda, which has developed... 

Delivering the keynote address, former media executive Ken Gordon praised the print media for its role in exposing corruption, double standards and abuses of power in the region. PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Caribbean media practitioners were meeting here on Monday in observance of World Press Freedom Day with the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) announcing... 

The cover of Cassel's OHabits book. PRESS RELEASE:  Make no mistake Warren Cassell has come to praise Oprah.  Unlike other notorious “tell-alls” that imply much but say nothing, Cassell’s new book, “O’HABITS: 40 Success Habits of Oprah Winfrey and the One Bad Habit She Needs to Stop!” (Morgan James Publishing, May 2010), studies the power and persona of the world’s most well-known... 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A High Court judge has slapped a TT$25,000 (US$4,166) fine on a radio station after the media house was found guilty of criminal contempt of court. Justice Herbert Volney had earlier accepted the pleas of two announcers at the radio station, who in the midst of a murder trial on March 23 made comments considered to have had the effect of influencing the jurors... 

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Police are investigating the death of television journalist, Keith Swift, whose body was found in his apartment on Monday night. Police said that Swift, 30, who worked for Channel 7 Television, failed to report for work earlier in the day and a roommate later found him dead in his bed. Police said they do not suspect foul play.  Read More →

A copy of the front page of Sun Weekend Newspaper. Photo credit: www.rowatlantic.org.uk ST.JOHN’S Antigua, CMC – Sun Printing and Publishing Company Limited, the last vestige of what was once the R Allen Stanford Empire has crumbled. The 46 remaining employees of the newspaper in Antigua and four in St Kitts on Friday received letters that read, in part, “owing to circumstances beyond our... 

Hazaimeh and Eglash won top honors in the first UN X-Cultural Reporting Competition. Washington, D.C.—Ruth Eglash of The Jerusalem Post and Hani Hazaimeh of The Jordan Times won top honors in the first X-Cultural Reporting Competition organized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). Their columns on the dismal state of relations between... 

Prime Minister Patrick Manning. PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) Friday denied that any of its members were linked to criminal activities and called on Prime Minister Patrick Manning to clarify statements he made regarding the media and the illegal drugs trade on the island. Manning, addressing a public meeting of his ruling... 

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – The parent company which owns Bermuda’s only daily newspaper endured a “perfect storm” of adversity as it saw profits tumble by 96 per cent through September 2009 from US$1.78 million a year earlier to a paltry $63,000. Bermuda Press (Holdings) Ltd. (BPH), owner of the Royal Gazette newspaper and a portfolio of other local businesses and real estate,... 

Nerissa Golden, Media Strategist and Director of Information & Communication for the Government of Montserrat. BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS (March 19, 2010) – For the Caribbean’s audio visual industry to thrive and connect with the widest audience, the region’s broadcasters and independent producers cannot be enemies and must see themselves as partners, says media strategist Nerissa Golden. Golden... 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – One year after it posted a loss of nearly J$445 million (US$4.9 million), the Gleaner Company Tuesday reported net profit of J$208 million (US$2.3 million) for 2009. “Having cash in the current economic environment is not a bad position to be in,” said Christopher Barnes, the Gleaner’s deputy managing director. “It not only provides a cushion against... 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago government Tuesday said it had obtained a retraction from the Guardian newspaper in Britain that the island had been placed on a “terror blacklist”. A government statement said that the Ministry of the Attorney general through its British attorneys had “challenged the accuracy of the report and demanded a retraction”. According to the... 

"I am excited to announce the imminent presentation of the Media Council Bill," Brown told fellow MPs in the House of Assembly on Monday. *Photo credit: www.ersvponline.com HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Premier Dr. Ewart Brown says legislation to allow for the creation of an independent council to govern the island’s media is to be introduced soon. “I am excited to announce the... 

Usain Bolt. Photo credit: reggaetimes.com KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Usain Bolt’s rise to athletics glory will literally soon be an open book. The champion Jamaican sprinter has signed a two-book deal with HarperSport, a subsidiary of the British book publishing giant HarperCollins. “I’m delighted to be publishing my two books with the guys at HarperCollins and I’m determined to give my fans... 

Group Chairman, Winston Derrick, said that the workers at HITZ FM had been informed of the decision to send them home last week. *Photo credit: ademwithane.com ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Observer Group of Companies said it had terminated the services of seven employees at one of its radio stations because it was moving to fully automate its operations. Group Chairman, Winston Derrick, said... 

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – A recently formed grouping of media house owners has elected an executive body to run its affairs. At a meeting on Wednesday, Godfrey Washington of Channel Two was the unanimous choice to be the first ever president of the Guyana Media Proprietors Association (GMPA). Also on the executive are Savitree Sharma, the co-proprietor of CNS Channel Six – vice president... 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on Monday announced that it is offering a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism as part of several new degree programmes over the next three years. CARIMAC said that the three-year degree in journalism will be offered at the Mona Campus here in the 2010/2011 academic year... 

Percy Sutton. *Photo credit: www.visionaryproject.org NEW YORK, CMC –Caribbean American legislators have been paying tribute to the pioneer of Caribbean radio programming here, Percy Sutton, describing him as a trailblazer and business titan. Sutton, whose popular radio station, WLIB, 1190 AM, focused primarily on Caribbean music and news from the late 1970s to 1990s, died on Saturday. He was 89.... 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Information Minister Daryl Vaz has led the tribute to journalist Michael Pryce, 48, who died on Monday in Britain after a three year battle with cancer. ‘His natural instinct for creating news and weaving interesting lead stories out of every situation, had long established him as a leader in the business despite his short stint as a broadcast journalist in Jamaica’. ‘In... 

Newly re-elected president of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), Wesley Gibbings. *Photo credit: www.acmediaworkers.com ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The newly re-elected president of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), Wesley Gibbings on Saturday called on Caribbean people to “work harder” to preserve freedom of expression. “I admonish people who... 

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas. *Photo credit: spicewriter.files.wordpress.com ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Prime Minister Tillman Thomas on Thursday said his administration would be scrutinising the country’s libel laws as part of an overall strategy that includes making information more widely available in Grenada. “There is a growing discussion in this region on whether legislation relating... 

“My government is prepared to use its plenitude of powers to ensure that good Administration prevails in this fair land of ours,” Parry added. *Photo credit: www.nia.gov.kn CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, CMC – The Nevis government has denied reports that the decision by Caribbean Cable Communication (CCC) to terminate the channel sharing services was due to the non-payment of outstanding fees. “I... 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) is expressing “shock and dismay” at the decision of the Privileges Committee of the House of Representatives to propose a ban on journalist Andre Bagoo from covering sessions of Parliament until the end of the current session. MATT said that Bagoo, a reporter with the daily publication, “NEWSDAY”, had been... 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) has expressed “deep concern” at a threat made against Surinamese journalist Ivan Cairo. The De Ware Tijd newspaper reporter said he received a threatening phone call following the publication of a series of articles on the disappearance of more than 90 kilogrammes of cocaine from the vault of the police department’s... 

Kwame McCoy. * Photo credit: Stabroek News GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The United States government has revoked the visa of Kwame McCoy, the press and publicity officer at the Office of President Bharrat Jagdeo. But McCoy said he was disappointed at the move by the US authorities claiming that he had first been informed of the situation by the media. “This scenario represents gross unethical behaviour... 

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Newspaper editor George Worme on Tuesday said he was examining several options including the launch of a new newspaper after a High Court judge ordered the liquidation of the Grenada Today newspaper. Earlier in the day, Justice Claire Henry appointed former accountant general Garvey Louison as the liquidator after Worme’s lawyer told the court that his client failed... 

Former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell. *Photo credit: belgrafix.com ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – High Court Judge Claire Henry on Tuesday ordered the liquidation of the Grenada Today newspaper after the owners failed to reach an agreement with former prime minister Keith Mitchell over the settlement of an EC$191,000 (US$71,135) award. Justice Henry appointed former accountant general, Garvey... 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington. *Photo credit: bishopians.org has denied that there was ever a plan by regional governments to license journalists working within the 15-member Caribbean grouping. A statement issued on the website of the regional media organisation – the Association of Caribbean Media... 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Caribbean media practitioners are warning regional governments that they are not prepared to accept legislation that would in effect impede freedom of speech and hamper their ability to do their work. The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), the umbrella regional media organisation, has already said it has invited a senior official of the Guyana-based Caribbean... 

PARIS, France, CMC –Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries registered mixed grades on press freedom last year, according to the latest rating released by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders annual index is based on questionnaires completed by journalists and media experts around the world. *Photo credit: sangam.org (RWB) on Tuesday. Guyana moved up 49 places to be at number 39, according to... 

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – A long-awaited freedom of information bill has been unveiled by government and could become law during the next parliamentary session. Premier Ewart Brown announced that the draft public access to information (PATI) legislation – aimed at making government more open and accountable – was online for taxpayers to view. Hard copies are also available at the Cabinet...