I think that Trinicenter should pay SPECIAL interest to see how this plays out.
I will cost very little for members of Trinicenter to put together a broadcast studio over cable. The technology is rather inexpensive with today's digital tech. But Government must guarantee that this domain will not be controlled by the all powerfull media houses of T&T and that 'community' broadcasting MUST be allowed access to the cable system also.

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Gregory Lal-Beharie

Friday, September 16th 2005

Less than four hours before television station Cable News Channel (CNC) would have started its first broadcast, the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) stepped in, alleging that the company was in contravention of the law.

CNC's 7 p.m. newscast last night on cable TV's Channel 3 did not air.

Trinidad Publishing and Broadcasting Company Ltd (TPBL)-a subsidiary of the ANSA McAL group-will go to court today to challenge the ban.

Speaking to the Daily Express last night, TPBL managing director Grenfell Kissoon said TATT's warning letter to them was a total surprise since he described the company as not a broadcast station in the true sense.

"We are not broadcasting over the air or using spectrum," he said. "We don't consider that we are in breach of the law. We have taken legal action."

Kissoon said CNC had a contract with the Cable Company of Trinidad and Tobago, which they considered "legal and binding".

The warning letter from TATT was received at 3.43 p.m., Kissoon said, adding that he wondered why it was received only yesterday.