ST GEORGE’S, Grenada – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Chairman Tillman Thomas today praised the work of the Caribbean Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that is ending more than two decades of broadcasting to the region.
The service is among several to be cut by the London-based broadcaster as part of the cost cutting measures forced upon it by the policies of the David Cameron coalition government
Thomas, who is also the Prime Minister of Grenada, said that the BBC Caribbean Service had been an objective, reliable and informative service to the Caribbean population.
“I think it’s something that we’ve grown accustomed to in the region and I believe it is something we should have really tried to maintain,” he said, adding he regarded the closure “ as a void that could be filled.
“You see, I believe we have to build institutions. We have built political institutions, we have built educational institutions as a region and I think we can build institutions relating to the media,” Thomas said , adding that as chairman of the 15-member regional grouping he would use his position to lobby for the establishment of a regional body that would fill the void being created by the closure of the BBC Caribbean Service..
“We could co-ordinate as a region to really provide information to the people of the region at a standard as established by the BBC. I believe that we have competent and capable journalists in the region to deal with matters of information.”
Thomas dismissed concerns that there isn’t enough political maturity in the region for governments to allow such an entity to function independently.
“If you setup the proper structure and it has an independent body, independent editorial board, I don’t see how there could be interference.
“Once you set up a structure that does not really entertain political interference, I think it is possible.”
The BBC Caribbean started its broadcast to the region dating back to 1939 with the programme “Calling the West Indies”. But there had been a lull and the Caribbean Service returned in 1988. (CMC)
