Chairman of TTT Limited, Michael Kerr, says the State entity is fulfilling the Government’s mandate by promoting inclusiveness and fairness across the national media.
Speaking on the brand-new morning show Trinidad and Tobago Today, hosted by Virmala Balkaran, he said now is the time for the national broadcaster to be a mirror of all citizens.
“Most importantly, to reflect and mirror that lifestyle and diversity of the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Too long, it has been beneficial to just a minority, but now we want to change that and open up, and make it reflect everything we have to offer.”
He noted that TTT Limited is using technology along with young, fresh voices and faces to attract and keep the interest of the new generation.
Pushing the boundaries, he said the new Fair Play Policy will be key to ensuring that young talent is not ignored and left outside the door.
“Too many times, we’ve heard people say, ‘Look, you know, we have good music, but we’re not hearing all the music.’ Seasons come and seasons go and I think that is definitely an injustice to our artistes—and not just the young ones, but also those who have been playing who have also been recording music for quite some time. Since Fair Play, I had one artiste reach out and say, ‘Listen, for three and a half years I have been sending music, and this is the only time it has been played.'”
He said the aim is to ensure that there is no cultural suppression whatsoever. This is one of the key pillars of inspiration behind Next 99.1FM’s Pavement Lime Caravan.
“I was looking at it from the perspective of the brand. I mean, if you stay in your comfort zone, then really and truly success is going to be limited. You have to go out, you have to make sure and interact with the people. When you hear people talk about, ‘Is TTT still on? Does it still exist?’ That tells you something and they need to know. So rather than just sitting here on Maraval Road, we are going into the communities and we have an entire schedule for the rest of the year.”
The Next 99.1 Pavement Lime Caravan kicks off soon in communities across Trinidad and Tobago.