Half a million dollars is owed to the TTT Limited by the People’s National Movement for political broadcasts carried during the period October 2020 and November 11, 2022.
The total sum of $572,783 was revealed by the State owned network to Freedom Law Chambers, who submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on behalf of UNC activist Marsha Walker.
According to the information provided by letter, dated July 21, 2023, by TTT’s corporate secretary Jennifer Farah-Tull to attorney Visnaal Siewsaran, the PNM (Trinidad) owes $512,596.25, while the Tobago Council owes $60,187.50.
The FOIA request asked for information on what was owed between the period January 1, 2020 and November 11, 2022. The information provided, however, showed that the PNM only accrued a debt to the TTT from October 2020.
The information also revealed that the PNM was the only party who supported TTT, using this medium for their political broadcasts and that no broadcasts were carried free of costs.
A request for a statement of the monies paid by the PNM to TTT during the period produced three cheques—one for $75,000, another for $175,000, and one for $10,000, for a total of $260,000 were received from the PNM by the station. However, the copies of invoices submitted by TTT during the period January 1, 2020 and November 11, 2022 detailing each broadcast, along with the contract number, the specific political event, the duration of the broadcast, gross total billing, total payments made and the net amounts due, show that over $704,000 was paid for political broadcasts by the PNM on the television station as well as its sister radio stations—100.1 and 99.1. Approximately $572,000 was still owing.
The FOIA Questions by Walker were:
1) What are the policy, practice, procedure and criteria of TTT for carrying a live broadcasts;
2) the fee structure and/or charges for carrying live broadcasts of political meetings;
3) a list of all political meetings during the period January 1, 2020 to November 11, 2022 which were broadcasted live and which were pre-recorded to be broadcasted at another time; together with the date when the said meeting was held; a statement of all monies;
4) A statement of all monies paid to TTT Ltd for political broadcasts during the period January 1st 2020 to November 11th, 2022;
5) Copies of invoices submitted by TTT for these political broadcasts;
6) The duration of each broadcast identified;
7) Proof of payment for each broadcast;
8) The amount of money that remains outstanding and due and owing to TTT to be paid for any broadcast of a political meeting of the PNM for the period January 1st, 2020 to November 11, 2022;
9) A list of broadcasts of political meetings of the PNM for which no fees were charged by TTT Ltd;
10) The organisational chart for TTT Limited;
11) The remuneration package for the top five managerial positions at TTT Ltd;
12) Copies of the contracts of employment for the persons occupying the top five managerial positions at TTT;
13) The policy, practice, procedure and criteria for hiring the top five managerial positions at TTT;
14) The amount of monies received by TTT from the Government for each year since it was re-branded and re-started operations and the statement of profit and loss as well as the advertising revenue earned by TTT since it was launched on August 30, 2018.
Answers to 13 of the 14 questions asked by Walker were provided. The only question that was not answered was the fee structure and/or charges for carrying live broadcasts of political meetings.