Minister of Education the Hon. Shawn Richards
Deputy Prime minister and Minister of Culture, Education, Youth and Sports the Honorable Shawn K Richards was the specially invited guest for Freedom Fm’s Issues on Thursday. In reviewing the just completed National Carnival activities and events, Mr Richards said overall the Carnival was successful but would put in effect and implement those changes that would make the Carnival product better. Minister Richards then addressed the viewpoint held by many that the major shows- the Soca and Calypso Monarch and the National Queen Pageant- were not well attended by patrons.
Richards also alluded to the fact that a decision not to broadcast the shows live for free would have impacted attendance in that persons broadcast the shows live via social media Facebook and persons may have opted to look at the show on Facebook rather than attend or pay for the live stream on ZIZ. Richards maintained that “there is a cost to ZIZ to produce these shows” and a cost by the National Carnival Committee to produce the shows. In the past Richards said broadcasting entities would seek sponsorship for the shows and that this revenue was not shared with the National Carnival Committee. He however feels that going forward such Prime Time Carnival events would come at a cost to broadcast systems in order to improve the financial viability of the Carnival product.
“I don’t think it is fair… traditionally there are persons who claim that is how it is done and so it should continue that way… there is a cost to producing all of the activities for Carnival. Therefore an approach was made to ZIZ to enter into an arrangement whereby the National Carnival Committee receives some of the revenue for the streaming and relative to the live commentary, we are willing to accommodate [media houses] at a particular price”, said Richards.
When asked if the National Carnival Committee Chairman Noah Mills would return to fulfill the third year of his three year contract, Richards insisted that Mills had done a good job with managing the Carnival product. “In some instances Mr Mills has taken the blame quote unfairly”, insisted Richards, for things which happened last year and this year, when the blame should be given to some of the chairpersons for the various sub committees.”
The 90 minute review on Carnival then fielded calls from Nationals at home and abroad who questioned the Minister on various aspects of Carnival including private sector involvement, the future of some shows, decisions made by Chairman Mills, lack of participation from the indigenous cultural art forms, and the lack of effective advertising and promotion of Carnival Shows.