2014-08-14

The OBA and Gov TV

When the PLP-led Government created GovTV, UBP members were quick to claim that it was a waste of money. Frankly, I was in full agreement. Bermuda had three privately run TV stations, and if Government wanted to produce their own programmes for local consumption, using those avenues would have been cheaper than forming a brand new station. All this, without even going into their "only public station... if you're a cable subscriber" nonsense.

Several months into an OBA-led government administration, there hasn't been a peep on it. Rather, it would appear that the OBA are happy to let the station exist and do its thing. Which suggests to me one or more of the following:
  • The OBA(then UBP) claim that CITV was for government propaganda was a load of bollocks - and now that they're "in control", they own the propaganda medium if they wish, so no matter
  • CITV, rather than being a waste of money, is actually beneficial in that either it earns revenue or provides enough jobs to make it viable, in which case they should apologize to the PLP immediately
  • They, similar to what's happened with the public transport situation, haven't even given it a thought up to now.
The current Premier was one of the harshest critics of CITV on its formation. What says him now?

If CITV is a loss-maker for government, then it would make sense to try to farm out the infrastructure and development to FreshTV, the folks behind Channel 82, or the legacy broadcasters at VSB or Bermuda Broadcasting. But who knows.

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