Local programming a thing of the past ???

The programming on any given night is enough to make one wonder what country they are in. According to executive director of Gayelle TV, almost every country you may travel to has their very own local programs shown at particular times of the day. NOT IN TRINIDAD! Luckily, channel 4 has remained faithful in bringing us some outdated local programs that were filmed mostly before I was born, nevertheless, its one of the few stations that we can see 'we culture' highlighted.


Then why are there so many foreign tv programs (mostly American) - the answer is not a deep seated one. It's mainly economic. The United States dominates the world in film, video and music production and has a global distribution network for its productions.  Although piracy and the DVD market have eroded profitability in recent years, the United  States is able to sell its productions all over the world at very affordable cost. Europe has resisted American dominance with tough local content regulation and financial and other support for European work. Trinidad and Tobago has not yet come to realization that we have the ability save the rich heritage that is Trinidad through the subsidizing of local content.


Now, thanks to foreign media, we have:

1. Foreign tastes exemplified in our Americanized lifestyles, trying to life the life as shown on TV
2.  It can be said that some level of violence as shown on television impacts our willingness to 'act out what we see'
3. Our sense of community and our value system has now drastically changed due to american programming. Homosexuality is normal, teenagers have sex and having more that one partner is also normal, and women are still see and the housewife or the 'sexy one'.

To save our beautify twin island state we must be willing to invest in its future. Errol Fabien assures us that change can start within a community where someone with a camera share their story, make others aware of your neighbourhood in a fun entertaining way. All we have to do is be conscious as individuals and make our local stories go viral on this fascinating creation called electronic media.