Trinidad and Tobago Television

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Trinidad and Tobago Television
Country	Trinidad & Tobago

The Trinidad and Tobago Television Company, was a national television broadcaster in Trinidad and Tobago. The company operated two stations - TTT on channels 2 and 13 and Alternative Television on channels 9 and 14. The station was closed in January 2005.

[edit] Station Profile

TTT has been the state-owned television broadcaster for over thirty years and from 1962-1991, it was the only television operator in Trinidad and Tobago. TTT provided the young nation with its earliest collection of cultural heroes, showcasing the diversity of Trinidad and Tobago's plural society by embracing some of its best exponents of indigenous artistic expression. The station is best known for its cultural presentations such as Mastana Bahar and Scouting For Talent.

[edit] Timeline

TTT Anchorman Jones P. Madeira (right) informs the nation that the Jamaat al Muslimeen has taken over the nation on Friday July 27, 1990. Leader of the Jamaat, Imam Abu Bakr (centre) and other members of the organisation look on.

News anchors John Victor, Ruskin Mark and Shelly Dass, saying goodbye on the set of Panorama, January 14th, 2005.

• August 31, 1962: Trinidad and Tobago Television began broadcasting.
• July 27, 1990: The stations were taken-over during the Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt. Several employees were held hostage, and the station was used for propaganda by the Jamaat al Muslimeen. Channels 9 and 14 went off the air permanently after this incident.
• March 13, 1994: The Trinidad and Tobago Television Company was merged with the state-owned radio company, the National Broadcasting Service. The new entity was called the International Communications Network. The government later acquired the bankrupt AVM Television (AVM Channels 4&16), which it merged with the International Communications Network (ICN) to form the National Broadcasting Network (NBN). The brand-name TTT was retained and AVM Television was renamed The Information Channel (TIC 4&16).
• January 14, 2005: The National Broadcasting Network was shut down. The Information Channel became NCC 4, and TTT Channels 2 and 13 ended their transmissions at 12.00 midnight.

[edit] Panorama

The station's flagship news programme, Panorama, remains an icon in Trinidad and Tobago, even as the station has gone off the air. For 29 years it was the nation's only evening news programme, allowing the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago access to television pictures from across the country and around the world.

[edit] Personalities

TTT launched the careers of several of the most recognized journalists and broadcasters in the Caribbean, such as Horace James, Mervyn Telfer (TTT’s first ever news anchor), Hazel Ward-Redman, Holly Betaudier, Sham Mohammed, Salisha Ali, Bobby Thomas, Dominic Kallipersad, Jones P Madeira, Allyson Hennessy, Gideon Hanoomansingh, Anthony Harford, Robin Maharaj (perhaps the best known weatherman in Trinidad and Tobago), Debbie Lewis-DeGannes and Hansley Ajodha. Other notable presenters include Brian Carter, Gary Moreno, Francesca Hawkins, Ruskin Mark, Shelly Dass, and John Victor.

[edit] References

• Blood, Peter. We Tv Dead, Trinidad Guardian January 14, 2005.
• Matroo, Carol. Mixed emotions as NBN signs off, Trinidad Guardian January 15, 2005.
• Small, Essiba. Farewell, old friend, Trinidad Guardian January 13, 2005.
• Thomas, Charleen. TTT closed: End of an era.