Newsnight 13's Northern Service will only be broadcast to Grand Bahama and Abaco

NEWSNIGHT 13's northern service will still be aired live and broadcast to Grand Bahama and Abaco, however the rest of the Bahamas will not be able to view it.
Michael Moss, chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB), explained that in addition to $80,000 per year in incremental telephone charges, consumer response indicated the national broadcast of the northern service was a "duplication of efforts".
National broadcast of the 6.30pm northern service has been discontinued and prominent local stories will continue to be highlighted in the 7pm national news segment.
Mr Moss said: "Given the cost and being responsive to the concerns of our audience, also given our mandate to become a public broadcast - we want in the national broadcast to incorporate more general news from around the Bahamas, as opposed to a Nassau-centric or a Grand Bahama-centric newscast."
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The northern service was initially intended to serve Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini, however Mr Moss admitted the broadcast offered little coverage for two latter family islands. Going forward, Mr Moss said the northern team will operate as a satellite office, gathering news from the northern region.
Mr Moss added: "We're going to try in the first case for it to be Abaco and Grand Bahama - we're going to make a concerted effort. If it works, then we will bring Bimini back into the loop."
In October, the corporation commenced mass layoffs in the transition to make ZNS an independent public service broadcaster - as determined in the 2009 Communications Act.
The government received heavy criticism from the opposition party and industry unions over the downsizing, however Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the governement acted honourably, paying the laid-off staff more money than they were entitled to.
Following the layoffs, the board started a wide-ranging operational review aimed at securing a sustainable future for ZNS as a public service broadcaster.
After bringing its financial losses under control by cutting staff levels, it was reported that the BCB would work towards implementing a new business model - focusing more on community-oriented news, entertainment and information.
In the future, based on the success of efforts at the northern station, Mr Moss said the corporation would seek to implement a Southern Bahamas news service.
National Security minister Tommy Turnquest, who has responsibility for ZNS, refuted statements released by the Progressive Liberal Party over the weekend, which indicated the northern service news had been terminated completely.
Mr Turnquest said: "It's still going to be live, and it hasn't been cancelled. The only thing that has changed is that it will no longer be broadcast nationally. This is just part of the restructuring phase ZNS is going through. The news from Grand Bahama, Abaco, Bimini and elsewhere in the Bahamas will still be a part of the national news."
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PLP statement on Cancellation of ZNS Freeport Evening News

By Elcott Coleby, PLP
PRESS RELEASE

Progressive Liberal Party

The Cancellation of ZNS Freeport Evening News

2nd January 2011


The Government of the Bahamas through the management of ZNS has announced the cancellation of the live broadcast of the nightly evening news in Grand Bahama, ‘News-Night 13’, effective come January 1st, 2011 because the production cost of $300 per newscast is prohibitive.

The Progressive Liberal Party opposes this policy decision as this vital community service bonds the Northern Region of the Bahamas inclusive of Grand Bahama, The Abacos, Moore’s Is., Bimini, the Berry Islands, Walkers Cay and Grand Cay.

The PLP views this move by the inept Ingraham Administration as just another mismanagement step and major blunder by the Government. The PLP reiterates that given the archipelagic nature of our country covering some 100,000 square miles, national institutions such as the National Flag Carrier Bahamasair, BTC, the Water and Sewerage Corporation and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force are vital to the collective escalation of National Development, Cultural Cohesion, and more significantly, National Security and Public Safety.

The PLP reminds the FNM government that the objective of government and the quality of governance cannot be measured in dollars and cents, but in its impact on the happiness and quality of life of the Bahamian people as the public good is consistently served. The question the FNM government must answer to the Bahamian people is this: How is the cancellation of this important community service in public’s best interest?

If the government is so concerned about cost cutting, then the Prime Minister need only look within his Cabinet to reduce government cost. By the PM’s own admission, his cabinet is too large for the size of this country.

Once returned to office, the PLP is committed to revisiting this bad decision that is clearly not in the public’s interest.