Former independent Senator Helen Drayton has been appointed to chair a single board to oversee two of the State’s media enterprises, the Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) and the Government Information Services Ltd (GISL).
The appointment was announced by Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie at the first post-Cabinet press conference since the new People’s National Movement (PNM) Government ascended to office earlier this month.
The press conference was held at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.
Drayton, will head a team of three other board members, who will oversee the eventual merging of the two companies into one entity.
Drayton was a member of the board of directors of several companies of the former RBTT Financial Group, including the flagship company, RBTT Bank Ltd, as well as Corbin Compton Advertising, the T&T Tourist Board and the Caribbean Procurement Institute.
Cuffie also announced appointments to the board of the National Gas Company (NGC) and Petrotrin and declared the PNM manifesto to be Government’s official policy document.
He said the decision to appoint one board for both CNMG and GISL was in recognition that there had been duplication of the services provided by CNMG and GISL.
Cuffie added: “In order to effect efficiencies and synergies, we have appointed one board to have both institutions working more closely together.
“There were plans to merge them before. A lot has happened over the last five years and the things we planned to do is appoint the board and have them look at the previous plan.
Asked whether CNMG CEO Ken Ali still held his position, Cuffie said he wasn’t aware.
“I assumed office on Tuesday and I have had no communication from Mr Ali since that time,” he said.
Staff at CNMG say Ali has not been seen at the office often since September 7.
A source at CNMG said changes had already begun as staff from radio station Talk City 91.1fm were dismissed yesterday, with the exception of talk show host Marcia Braveboy.
Cuffie gave no assurances that staff would not be affected by the move to merge the organisations.
“We decided that we need both organisations to work more closely together and that doesn’t necessarily mean anything about jobs.
Asked if the previous boards had resigned or if their appointments had been revoked, Cuffie said that while it was customary in some organisations for boards to write the government informing of their willingness or preference to demit office, the Government felt it was important that those boards be changed immediately.
Cuffie said the government also wanted to create closer synergies with Petrotrin and NGC, with the appointment of former president of the National Energy Corporation (NEC) Andrew Jupiter on both boards.
Jupiter has been appointed chairman of Petrotrin. Former ANSA McAL chief operating officer Gerry Brooks was appointed chairman of NGC.
Board Members
CNMG and GISL:
• Helen Drayton: Chairman
• Timothy Affonso: Deputy chairman
• Nyla Ali
• Alice Borrel
NGC:
• Gerry Brooks: Chairman
• Andrew Jupiter
• Ken Allum
• Sham Mahabir
• Martin Ganesh
Petrotrin:
• Andrew Jupiter: Chairman
• Leonard Prescott
• Zameer Mohamed
• Beverly John
• Linda Rajpaul
• Randhir Rampersad