New Move takes Turquoise Morning to 62 million viewers
Telly Award© nominated, Turquoise Morning™ TV show is will see its viewing audience figures explode in June, when the morning magazine styled programme adds twenty countries and popular cruise lines to its reach, thanks to the One Caribbean Weather Channel.
The television show, hosted by Deandrea Hamilton, a broadcast journalist features ‘the people, places and plans’ of The Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas in an hour long show.
“It has always been the vision of Turquoise Morning™ to bring a sort of unity to our region by having each of us see what other countries are up to in the comfort of our own homes and with bright bursts of colour, amazing adventures and infectious fun. The things and people we feature are rarely the headliners but are always vivacious with a wonderful, inspiring story to tell,” said the host of the show.
Turquoise Morning™ began filming in the Turks and Caicos in April 2008 and branched out to Hamilton’s home country of The Bahamas in November 2011; her company Magnetic Media produces the show.
“While our media company, Magnetic Media is based in the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas – we find ourselves journeying to regional neighbours like Jamaica, Haiti, Florida, Bermuda and most recently to Colombia where we gave coverage to the Sixth Summit of the Americas,” said Deandrea Hamilton, who is also Managing Director of Magnetic Media.
Magnetic Media currently distributes daily news reports to CBS/One Caribbean Weather channel from The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos which is seen in 46 Caribbean and Latin American countries. A strategic alliance with TropikTV, a Caribbean-centric TV station headquartered in Miami is responsible for airings in South Florida, New York and New Jersey over Comcast and Time Warner.
“We are thrilled to have fostered such influential relationships at home and abroad. In The TCI People’s Television Ch8 carries the show, three times a week and in The Bahamas we are aired similarly on Cable Bahamas Ch12. While we want our home audiences to enjoy the riveting experiences, it was always important that we take our show to the world.”
Ms. Hamilton adds: “Our TV websites (www.BahamasonTV.com and www.TurksandCaicosonTV.com) give anyone, anywhere the anytime opportunity to delight in professional programming.”
Magnetic Media has shown an uncommon flexibility, often packing up a production team to move to where the intriguing stories are unravelling. Exploits have taken the crew to Niagara Falls in Canada, to the Haiti Reconstruction Forum hosted by the City of Miami and the Inter-American Development bank; to the World Travel Awards in Montego Bay, Jamaica and to the Global Economic Forum held in Bermuda among other events.
“As Caribbean people, we sometimes have a lot of limiting notions about each other – even within our own countries. Turquoise Morning™ is that balmy breeze and refreshing indulgence that for at least 60 minutes helps viewers to embrace the differences, be inspired to see somewhere or do something new and we are ever hopeful that people will pause and enjoy the view!”
Turquoise Morning™ debuts on One Caribbean Weather channel to Antigua, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Maarteen, St. Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico, Guyana and on Carnival Cruise and Holland America Cruise Lines on June 4, 2012. The show will air on Mondays at 7 a.m., with rebroadcasts on Thursdays at 9 p.m.
DIGICEL TCI CEO E. JAY SAUNDERS, TELLS EUROPEAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES TO FOLLOW THE CLOUDS
E. Jay Saunders, CEO of Digicel TCI who just last month was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil informing Latin American and Caribbean telecommunications companies on why they are better positioned to financially benefit from their 4G investments – specifically their Long Term Evolution (LTE) investments – than North American telecommunications companies, was in Barcelona, Spain on the 23rd May speaking at the LTE World Summit 2012 on the topic “Business Opportunities that ‘scream’ out for LTE: How operators can utilize LTE to become relevant again”. While at the summit, E. Jay also shared the stage with Mark Harrop, (Director of Devices, Mobility and Innovation, BT Wholesale, UK) for a panel discussion on “Accelerating Broadband Access in Rural Areas”; and he participated in a TV interview for Telecoms.com (to be aired in June).
During his presentation, E. Jay pointed out that combined global revenues from Cloud services and mobile advertising was approximately US$44 billion dollars in 2011 and that total revenues from the same are expected to grow to US$121 billion dollars in 2015. Turning to the telecommunication companies in the audience, E. Jay asked “What percentage of those revenues are you going to capture?” Currently telecommunication companies globally are not well positioned to capture any of those revenues, and it would be remiss of them after having financed the huge CAPEX requirements to rollout LTE – the most advanced wireless telecommunications standard to date – which by its very design will cannibalize traditional voice and SMS revenues, to not attempt to capture some of the revenues coming from the new areas that their investments in LTE is making possible such as Cloud services, video streaming, and mobile advertising, stated E. Jay.
Micaela Giuhat, vice president of product marketing at GENBAND, a company who is poised to play a major role in assisting mobile operators in meeting subscribers' future expectations for innovative, empowering and personalized services through a unique portfolio of LTE and IMS-enabled security, control and application layer products, such as Mobile Life and Office, stated that “GENBAND considers LTE to be the catalyst of a new and dramatic advance in the evolution of the communications industry, and one of the highlights of the LTE World Summit was the presentation from Digicel's E. Jay Saunders. It was by far one of the most positive and well thought out presentations, with concrete examples on how to really take advantage of LTE. Amongst long discussions on what makes an LTE business case, E. Jay's speech was not only reaffirming that there is a business case for LTE, but also a huge upside that service providers can easily capitalize on."
Some of the other speakers at the conference were:
Micaela Giuhat, Vice President Product Marketing, GENBAND;
Mark Harrop, Director, Devices, Mobility and Innovation, BT Wholesale, UK;
Luis Angel Sanchez, Head of Innovation 2.0, Telefonica, Spain;
Carlos Domingo, President & CEO, Telefónica R&D. Director of Product Development and Innovation, Telefónica Digital;
Takehiro Nakamura, Director & 3GPP Chairman, NTT DoCoMo;
Karim Lesina, Executive Director of International External Affairs, AT&T;
Daniel Lönnblad, Director, Sony Ericsson;
Royal Party in Grace Bay
GRACE Bay will be a sea of red, white and blue on Tuesday in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee.
A Royal Party is being held at Island Scoop Ice Cream Store to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years of reign.
The event will be packed full of great British traditions with all proceeds going to Crime Stoppers in support of the RTCI Police.
Organiser, Cally Affleck, explained: “We wanted to celebrate this great occasion in history and also give something back to the community.
“We came up with the idea of a Royal Party which will be held in the Plaza that surrounds the Island Scoop Ice Cream Store.
“In terms of supporting the community, we wanted to give all the proceeds to a good cause and so we will be making a donation to the RTCI Police through Crime Stoppers.”
She added: “As both a resident and a business owner, I and many others rely on the Police Service and we want to say thank you for the wonderful job they do.”
Attractions at the Royal Party include the sale of popular British cuisine such as scones and jam, fish and chips, cucumber sandwiches and plenty of cups of tea.
There will also be refreshments, face painting, a children’s play area and other entertainment for all the family, while also available to purchase on the day will be a variety of special ice creams celebrating The Queen, Britain and the RTCI Police.
And a Royal Party wouldn’t be the same without a Royal visitor, as Cally explains.
“It promises to be a fantastic day”, she added, “and we are all really looking forward to it.
“And who knows there may be a very special Royal visitor of sorts, which would give everyone a rare opportunity to be photographed with a member of the Royal Family!
“Everyone is welcome and it will be great to see lots of people there, having fun and raising money for a fantastic cause.
“We are asking people to wear red, white and blue if they can while crowns, tiaras and jewels are optional, but recommended.”
The Royal Party starts at 4pm on Tuesday and RTCI Police will have a range of vehicles on display at the event.
Inspector Nigel Couch said: “It is great the organisers have chosen to donate the proceeds to Crime Stoppers in their support of the Police Service.
“Already we have seen the donation of the All Terrain Vehicles through Crime Stoppers this year and we thank the Royal Party organisers for their fantastic gesture.”
Lil Wayne’s Trukfit Brand Heading to Macy’s Stores
Rapper Lil Wayne continues to expand his Trukfit clothing brand with a new distribution deal via Macy’s department stores.
Lil Wayne’s new Trukfit clothing line will land in select Macy’s across the country, in addition to Macy’s.com.
T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats will be available from the brand starting on June 1.
“Trukfit is a state of mind,” said Mike Morris, Trukfit brand director. “It is about being oneself, having fun, being free and being able to express all these elements. We are thrilled to be able to offer Trukfit at Macy’s, an iconic retailer with as much as energy and heart as our brand. Lil Wayne is a favorite rapper and Macy’s is a favorite shopping destination – a perfect fit!”
Trukfit, which is an acronym for “The Reason You Kill For It,” is a streetwear brand, that draws influence from music, art, and action sports.
To celebrate the launch of Trukfit at Macy’s, Lil Wayne will make a special appearance at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles on June 1.
He will be accompanied by close friend and professional skateboarder, Stevie Williams, who is the founder of the company, DGK.
The first 10 fans to purchase $150.00 in merchandise from Trukfit, DGK, or both, will be invited to a special meet and greet with Lil Wayne and Williams.
Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian Share a Bonding Moment in Atlantic City
Believe it or not, after the rumors of Beyoncé avoiding Kim Kardashian, the two were spotted having a bonding moment in Atlantic City where the singer was performing over the weekend.
Backstage, Kim had an opportunity to chat with the diva and the two were caught embracing and dancing with one another.
“Kim thought it was such a great show,” a source told Us Weekly. “There’s always some random rumors there is tension between them and there totally isn’t! Kim had so much fun.”
Kim wasn’t the only star who attended the four-concert weekend. The Obama ladies were spotted in a private box dancing and singing to some of their favorites and Gale King sat nearby.
This was Beyoncé’s big debut since having Blue Ivy in January. On Saturday, the singer revealed to her screaming fans that she lost 60 pounds since giving birth.
“Y’all have no idea how hard I worked! They had me on that treadmill. I ate lettuce!” she told her fans. “Now tonight I’m gonna get chocolate wasted!”
Sir Elton John 'doing well' after illness
Sir Elton John is on the mend after a respiratory infection led him to cancel three concerts in Las Vegas, his civil partner David Furnish has said.
The 65-year-old star was treated in hospital in Los Angeles last Wednesday but was released the same day.
Mr Furnish told reporters in London: "He's doing incredibly well and recovering."
Sir Elton's spokesman said he would perform at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert as planned on Monday.
He will join stars including Sir Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Sir Cliff Richard and Dame Shirley Bassey at the show at Buckingham Palace.
A statement on the singer's website said he was now at his home in England and was "very excited" about taking his place at the event.
On Wednesday, Sir Elton will attend a gala performance of Billy Elliot The Musical to mark seven years and 3,000 performances in the West End.
Sir Elton's latest European tour then begins on Friday.
His spokesman said: "It's nothing more than a chest infection - you rest and it's better. Everything that's planned is still happening."
The illness was described as a "serious respiratory infection" by his US spokesperson last week and forced the star to pull out of three performances of his current Las Vegas residency.
The remaining 11 concerts of his Million Dollar Piano residency at Caesars Palace take place in October.
Obama honours 13 with Medal of Freedom at White House
President Barack Obama has bestowed the nation's highest civilian honour on political and cultural figures in a ceremony at the White House.
Musician Bob Dylan, astronaut John Glenn, and Israeli President Shimon Peres were among the Medal of Freedom recipients.
The award is given to people from all walks of life who have made exceptional contributions to society.
It was established by former President John F Kennedy in 1963.
Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on 24 May 1941 and began his musical career in 1959, playing in Minnesota coffee houses.
He took his stage name from the poet Dylan Thomas and, not coincidentally, paid as much attention to his lyrics as his music.
Much of his best-known work dates from the 1960s, when he became an informal historian of America's troubles.
Songs such as Blowin' In The Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin' became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements.
His move away from traditional folk songwriting, paired with a controversial decision to "go electric", proved equally influential - his confessional, introspective lyrics were undoubtedly absorbed by The Beatles in their later work.
He continues to record and tour, expanding his horizons with a US radio show and a recently signed six-book publishing deal.
'Beloved'
Another luminary to be awarded the honour, Toni Morrison, is renowned for her portrayal of the African-American experience in novels such as Song Of Solomon, and Beloved, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988.
Born Chloe Anthony Wofford in 1931 in Ohio, she went on to become a senior editor at publishers Random House before pursuing her writing career.
Outside of novels, she has written literary criticism and even lyrics for operas, including Honey and Rue, with music by Andre Previn.
Once asked by a student who she wrote for, Morrison replied: "I want to write for people like me, which is to say black people, curious people, demanding people...
"People who can't be faked, people who don't need to be patronised, people who have very, very high criteria."
The 13 people awarded the Medal of Freedom at Tuesday's ceremony in the East Room of the White House included:
- Madeleine Albright, secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 and the first woman to hold that post
- John Doar, assistant attorney general in charge of civil rights at the Department of Justice during the 1960s
- William Foege, physician and former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who led the campaign to eradicate smallpox
- Gordon Hirabayashi, who fought the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and died in January
- Dolores Huerta, community activist and co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association in 1962
- Jan Karski, officer in the Polish Underground in World War II and later a professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, who died in 2000
- Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts in 1912, who died in 1927
- John Paul Stevens, associate justice of the US Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010
- Pat Summitt, basketball coach who has won more games than any other coach, and spokeswoman against Alzheimer's disease
Previous honourees include Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Stephen Hawking, Walt Disney, Doris Day, Duke Ellington and Aretha Franklin.
Dancehall film to be screened at WeBeat opening
A multiple-award-winning documentary about Jamaica’s dancehall scene is set to enthrall audiences at the opening of the annual WeBeat festival on June 2 from 7 pm at the St James Amphitheatre. The screening of Hit Me With Music is part of the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival and bpTT Community Cinergy series of film screenings, and is presented in association with the St James Community Improvement Committee.
Released in 2011 and directed by Miquel Galofré, Hit Me With Music explores various facets of dancehall culture, including feuds between rival musicians, skin bleaching, and the “daggering” phenomenon. Dancehall pioneers Yellowman and the late Bogle make appearances in the film, as well as more recent stars Elephant Man, Mavado and Vybz Kartel.
The film—which has been screened in North America and Europe—won both the jury and audience awards for best documentary at last year’s film festival. After the screening there will be a Q&A session with the director. Before the film there will be a lime, from 6 pm, when food and drinks will be on sale. Admission is free of charge and open to everyone 16 and over.
WeBeat is a festival that celebrates the rich diversity of cultures and at the same time commemorates the incorporation of St James into the city of Port-of-Spain. The festival runs until June 9, when the Steelband Parade takes place on the Western Main Road, from 7 pm. At a dinner on Friday, at the Lions Civic Centre in Woodbrook, the festival will honour Denyse Plummer, Trinidad Rio (Daniel Brown) and Keith Simpson. For a schedule of events log on to: WeBeat.org.
Police find guns, ammo in Chaguanas bars
Chaguanas police raided two bars yesterday seizing illegal weapons and narcotics. The exercise followed weeks of complaints by residents living close to the police station. According to reports, around 2.30 am yesterday officers of the Chaguanas CID, led by Supt Othaniel Williams and Inspector Wayne Lawrence, searched the two recreation clubs during which a loaded Taurus revolver with three rounds of .38 ammunition were found hidden between beer cases in one bar.
They also searched the female washroom of the second bar and found a Smith and Wesson revolver with five rounds of ammunition. That gun was found in a toilet tank. Both weapons will be taken to the Forensic Science Centre in St James where ballistic analysis would be used to determine if the firearms were used in recent shootings.
Several plastic packages containing marijuana were also found at one of the bars during the raid. Four patrons, who were also found in possession of narcotics, were also arrested. Also, in response to residents who complained about illegal parking by customers at the business places, several vehicles were wrecked while more than 60 fixed penalty traffic tickets were issued.
Two men were also arrested after officers with the assistance of sniffer dogs found a large quantity of marijuana hidden in the steering wheel of a dump truck. Those arrested are expected to appear before a Chaguanas magistrate later today.
Also involved in the exercise were woman police sergeant John, Cpl Ramsaran and officers of the Central Divisional Task Force.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated exercise yesterday at Eastern Quarry, Laventille, police issued more than 50 traffic tickets. During the exercise, officers of the Port-of-Spain Division under the supervision of ASP Ajith Persad, ordered scores of drivers to strip their illegal tints. Five motorists were arrested for possession of marijuana while five were held for outstanding warrants. The exercise was coordinated by Senior Supt Wayne Boyd.
Bahamian PM outlines 2012 - 2013 budget
Prime Minister Perry Christie Wednesday presented a US$3.3 billion budget to Parliament outlining a number of measures to further rationalize tariff and excise rates, encourage energy efficiency and provide relief to consumers.
In his first fiscal package since his Progressive Liberal party (PLP) won the general elections last month, Prime Minister Christie said the measures were aimed at dealing with the “very serious deterioration” in the government’s fiscal position.
“We must set the fiscal parameters prudently in 2012/13 in such a way as to begin the process of getting our fiscal house in order, while at the same time accommodating our short-term priority initiatives to the fullest extent possible,” Christie said.
He told lawmakers that the fundamental challenge for fiscal policy is the “very large negative imbalance that has been allowed to develop in respect of the Government’s recurrent account.
“The gap between Recurrent Expenditure and Recurrent Revenue, both expressed as a per cent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), has quadrupled in the last five years. In 2006/07, the negative spread between the two stood at 0.8 per cent of GDP.
“This year, that imbalance has grown to 3.2 per cent of GDP. In the last five years, the ratio of Recurrent Expenditure to GDP has grown from 17.4 per cent to 21.3 per cent. However, the ratio of Recurrent
Revenue to GDP has only risen from 16.6 per cent to 18.1 per cent,” he said, adding that the former Hubert Ingraham administration “rather than only borrowing to finance productive investments in our nation’s future prosperity ...was also increasingly borrowing to pay for an increase in everyday expenditures in the form of salaries, rent and utilities that was not matched by an increase in revenues.
The government has estimated recurrent expenditure at US$1.8 billion, while recurrent revenue is put at US$1.5 billion.
CMC