The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

YOUTH, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg is satisfied that after a meeting with stakeholders, both Cable Bahamas and ZNS will broadcast the New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade without interruption.

The minister said there was an amicable conclusion to this meeting after Cable Bahamas Ltd and the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas sparred over the last few days about the parade’s Boxing Day broadcast.

“I know they will be on the same page - I have no doubt. We left that meeting all shaking hands (and) smiling along with the prime minister, the minister responsible for ZNS — Myles LaRoda — myself.”

He also said: “The CEO from Aliv was there, the chairman of ZNS and the general manager were there. The JCNP was there with their (representative). The parade management team executives were there for Junkanoo and also the National Junkanoo Committee chair.

“Everyone who are the major stakeholders were there and all agreed that we will leave and we did leave there all on one accord.”

The BCB previously said it plans to file a complaint with the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) after accusing Rev, Cable Bahamas, and Aliv of an “intrusion” on the broadcast of this year’s Junkanoo parade.

But Mr Bowleg could not say if there were still plans to continue filing a case with URCA.

“I don’t know that aspect of it. I don’t know because we didn’t discuss that - that was not a part of the meeting,” he said.

“The meeting was just to ensure that both Channel 12 and ZNS ensure that they would be broadcasting the New Year’s parade without any interruption. Then to ensure that both of them ensure that the naming of the parade is the same on both stations, which is ‘the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture New Year’s Parade powered by Aliv’ and that there is uniformity in the broadcasting. “

Cable Bahamas had accused the BCB of breaching the terms of its broadcasting conditions for the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade.

The company said its decision as a result to redirect REV TV subscribers to watch the parade on its channel was not an anti-competition tactic, as claimed by the BCB.

Asked what the main contention was, Mr Bowleg answered: “Aliv was a major sponsor. The parades are powered by Aliv and I think - ZNS was wearing the brand of BTC – you know that their major competitor was the major sponsor. So that was the contention.”

He added: “The shirts were worn by the employees of ZNS, the BTC shirts, and that was an offence to Aliv based on their agreement with the JCNP, who is responsible for the management of the parade of Junkanoo in New Providence. Because JCNP has an agreement with Aliv.

“Aliv being their major sponsor and their partnership with the ministry that was offensive to them that their competitor would have been branded by another station.”

As for whether the same mistake will be made on New Year’s Day with BTC branding, Mr Bowleg replied: “No, they won’t do that.”

In a statement on Wednesday, CBL said it is “disappointed” by the accusations levied by the state broadcaster.

“The BCB was aware of and breached the terms of our broadcasting conditions for the Boxing Day celebrations. As a result, REV TV subscribers on four islands (New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera) were directed to watch the live broadcast of the Boxing Day Parade on REV channel 212 for a limited period at the beginning of the segment,” according to the press statement.

“This was not an anti-competition tactic as suggested by the BCB. CBL as a partner of Aliv has made significant contributions to getting Junkanoo back to the people through a multi-year, multi-million-dollar sponsorship of Junkanoo.

“It is unfortunate that other media broadcasters and their partners, by all of their actions thus far, have attempted to hijack the hard work of our contributions and those of the Junkanoo groups. We look forward to an amicable resolution to this matter and hope that this does not take place in the future.”