Top executives and other personnel of more than twenty-two media companies in the Caribbean are currently in Nassau, Bahamas participating in the 48th Annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU). The event, being held at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel, under the theme ‘Digital Developments in Caribbean Media’ commenced Tuesday and will conclude on Thursday.
Guyana’s Minister of Public Telecommunications, Mrs. Cathy Hughes, delivered the feature address yesterday on the theme, emphasising the need for consistent production of good quality content by broadcasters. Also at the Assembly from Guyana are Advisor to the Minister and Chair of National Communications Network (NCN), Mr. Enrico Woolford; and, Chief Executive Officer of NCN and member of CBU’s Board of Directors, Mr. Lennox Cornette.
At the opening ceremony Monday evening, Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Dr. Hubert Minnis, delivered a message to participants and special invites in the packed Governor’s Ballroom Lobby. He noted that as global interdependence and development continues to increase at a rapid pace, information and communication technologies are viewed as indispensible resources to the way in which people lead their daily lives. He also noted that ICT plays a vital role in expanding the region’s and the world’s economy. ‘The CBU with a current membership of 24 nations has demonstrated that partnerships and firm foundation geared towards propelling the industry is what is needed.’
Current issues being discussed at the Assembly include: social media guidelines for journalists; developments in digital radio standards; and, recent developments in digital television transition.