The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahamian Raquel Beneby Hart did not let COVID-19 avert her plans of launching and developing a new television project, and creating a platform to connect with audiences through innovative, transformative, and empowering television shows.

Raquel Beneby Network (RBN TV) held its virtual launch on YouTube in July during the COVID-19 pandemic. The network aims at creating opportunities to develop skills and transform lives and communities through the creative and orange industry.

Ms Beneby describes herself as a change agent, transformation leader, and community builder. “I am all about building up people in the community to be better,” she said.

The RBN TV YouTube Channel is Bahamian inspired, but also globally focused on exposing our Bahamian creative talents to the international world.

“RBN is a feeder system to develop our Bahamian talent and expose them to the international market,” said Ms Beneby, who is also a published author and businesswoman. “We have completed 49 episodes, and we are on our way to another 49,” she said.

Ms Beneby stated that RBN TV is open to feedback from people.

“Considering we only just started, we have been getting a lot of reviews and critiques. All of our hosts are new, but the content is rich, and we have worked on product delivery and branding standards, and quality output.”

RBN TV provides weekly shows from Monday to Saturday. ‘The Power of Her Story,’ the journey of women from around the world, airs on Mondays. On Tuesdays, there is ‘Forward Upward Onward Together,’ where they talk about nation-building and solutions;

On Wednesdays, there is ‘Full STEAM Ahead.’ STEAM is the acronym for Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math and the show is about how people integrate that into everyday living and in the future. On Thursday is ‘Big Cents,’ which discusses financial outlook and financial planning for people and entrepreneurs.

Friday is mainly geared to young audiences providing entertainment news, happenings around town in Grand Bahama, the Bahamas, the US, and elsewhere. On Saturday, is focused on Agrobusiness.

Ms Beneby said that the sole purpose behind RBN TV is to help people.

“I am always about ‘how can I help people, how can I connect people?’ And in sitting down during COVID-19, I asked how can I improve, and there was so much uncertainty and unanswered questions. We wanted to make it RBN TV practical and relatable to everyone and to bring change to their lives,” she said.

“I call it my COVID baby, and it is all about empowerment. To create sustainable communities, we have to be able to empower people by giving them the tools and resources they need, and the correct information as they look to us for answers to some questions and timely discussions,” she said.