Media, Public Relations, Publishing and Print
Media
Publishing and Printing
Trinidad and Tobago consumers have considerable options for mass media consumption. The nation has three daily newspapers and some weekly ones. There are also several TV stations, one state owned, and over 30 radio stations. The different forms of media have embraced technology, taking advantage of the modern trends of ubiquitous news, interactivity, instantaneous reporting, customisation and multimedia. For example, the Express and the Guardian offer online versions of their newspapers with exclusive content for their subscribers. Many of the major radio stations have online apps and stream content. The presence of exclusively online news media has also increased. The two largest companies in the industry are Guardian Media Ltd (GML) and One Caribbean Media Ltd (OCM). In 2015, OCM achieved a net profit before tax of US$17.2 million, 6.6% ahead of last year. Their Trinidad and Tobago newspaper, the Express was market leader in sales and readership. In 2015, GML’s revenues grew by TT$14.7 million or 7.5%. However, both companies cite a noticeable drop in their advertising revenue and suggest the fall in oil prices is the cause.
According to Gérard Besson, founder and Chairman of Paria Publishing Co. Ltd., there is practically no local fiction publishing in Trinidad and Tobago. He explains that the local industry comprises of newspaper publishers, magazine publishers and self-publishers. He notes though that there is “a publishing reality in Trinidad and that is called schoolbooks” – the largest portion of the industry. Rico Charran, President of the recently established Book Industry Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (BIOTT), believes that the publishing industry has some potential for growth. One of BIOTT’s aims is to encourage development among book sellers and develop markets. Charran points out that Trinidad and Tobago has a demand for book exports. According to the UN Comtrade’s international trade statistics, Trinidad and Tobago exported a significant number of printed books, brochures, leaflets and children’s books in recent years. Charran explains that these numbers prove that there is a regional demand for our printed, published material. He admits that many of the books being exported are probably schoolbooks, but he believes that more can be done for publishing fiction. He identifies embracing the creative industries and enforcing copyright laws as some of the necessary industry changes. He also notes that the local industry has the potential to produce a better product. Technology affects every aspect of the publishing process including production, sales, marketing and back office, but he’s found that some of the local publishers have been slow to assimilate this. He emphasised the need for progress if Trinidad and Tobago is not to be left behind on a global scale. Technology has improved the lot of the self-publishers. According to Besson, more people are taking advantage of foreign printon-demand options where they can upload a book and have a publication professionally produced and printed in a short time. Recently the local government announced that value added tax (VAT) would be charged on books, and there was considerable public discussion on this. Both Besson and Charran contend that the industry will be negatively affected by this increase in prices, noting that as books become a luxury, people will forego buying fiction. “In general, the tax move is understandable but needs revisiting and consultation,” observes Joan Dayal, owner of the Paper Based Bookshop. “Perhaps a smaller tax bracket will be better received on both sides of the consumer-retailer environment.”
Media Houses Tabloids: (Daily Press) Trinidad Express, Trinidad Guardian and Newsday. (Bi-weekly) TnT Mirror. (Weeklies) Tobago News, Catholic News, Bomb, Blast, Metro, Showtime, The Weekend Heat and Sunday Punch. Local television stations: CCN TV-6 (Channels 6 & 18 in Trinidad and Channel 19 in Tobago), CTV (Channels 9 and 13), Cable News Channel CNC3 (Channels 12 & 14), TV4 Government Information Services Ltd (Channels 4 & 16), The Parliament Channel (Channel 11), Gayelle Television (Channels 23 & 27), Advance Community Television Station Acts 25 (Channel 25), Synergy TV (Channel 33), WINTV (Channels 37 & 39) and Tobago Channel (Channel 5 Tobago only). Local television programming via cable television: ieTV (Channel 1 Flow & 116 Blink), Cable News Channel CNC3 (Channel 3 Flow & 104 Blink), Government Information Services Ltd (Channel 4 Flow & 103 Blink), CCN TV-6 (Channel 5 Flow & 100 Blink), CTV (Channel 6), Gayelle Television (Channel 7 Flow & 106 Blink), Islamic Broadcast Network - IBN (Channel 8), ACTS (Channel 9 Flow & 112 Blink) The Parliament Channel (Channel 11), WI Sport (Channel 14), Synergy TV (Channel 15 Flow, 108 Blink), and Tobago Channel (Channel 5 Tobago only). There are about 36 radio stations operating on the FM band and two on the AM band (530 AM and 730 AM).
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