TRINIDAD and Tobago Television (TTT) is denying accusations from the United National Congress (UNC) that the network has deliberately refused to provide airtime for the party’s public meetings.
In a statement issued on March 29, TTT said the UNC never made an official request for airtime nor communicated any concerns through the appropriate channels.
“The network only became aware of the issue through a Facebook post from the UNC.”
The controversy began on March 29, when the UNC, through Public Relations Officer Kirk Meighoo, accused TTT of improperly using state resources to provide free campaign airtime to the People’s National Movement (PNM).
The UNC’s letter, addressed to TTT CEO Adrian Winter and signed by party chairman Davendranath Tancoo, claimed TTT has become “a de facto propaganda arm for the PNM.”
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The UNC’s statement also alleged TTT aired multiple PNM events, disguised as political meetings, without charge, allowing the PNM to campaign for free using taxpayer funds.
The letter alleges six PNM political broadcasts aired in 2022, including meetings in Belmont, Diego Martin and Mt Hope, which the UNC says were broadcast without any payment from the PNM.
The statement said when the UNC sought airtime for its own events, TTT demanded $45,000 per hour for airtime, refusing to negotiate its fee. It alleges under this rate, “the PNM owes TTT over $1 million for the free coverage it received.”
The statement demanded equal access to TTT’s services under the same terms as the PNM and is calling for transparency. The UNC has requested a rate card for political advertising during the upcoming general election campaign, along with a schedule of available slots. The UNC warned it would take legal and regulatory action if TTT fails to address its concerns.
“TTT is publicly funded and does not belong to the PNM. It has a responsibility to operate fairly and uphold democratic principles by ensuring balanced media access for all political parties. The UNC will not allow state resources to be hijacked for partisan advantage at the expense of citizens,” the statement concluded.
In its response, TTT denied the allegations, saying it is “deeply concerned” that the UNC has chosen to publicly misrepresent the situation. TTT accused the UNC of blurring the lines between the government and the political party in power, which created a misleading narrative that TTT is a public organisation under the control of the PNM.
“For clarity, as the state-owned national broadcaster, TTT is responsible for covering major government events of national importance. This is entirely separate from covering political parties’ engagements, which are inherently partisan. TTT does not have the mandate to do so,” it read.
The release reiterated TTT does not function as a platform for any political party, including the UNC, and the UNC must follow established procedures for requesting airtime.
“TTT categorically rejects any attempts to misrepresent our role or to pressure the organisation into serving partisan interests.”
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