Drayton: I didn’t pull the plug

“I will not interfere with the newsroom. But after viewing what was going on for about five minutes which was a ‘live’ accusatory broadcast, I called the CEO and enquired whether it was normal practice to suddenly interrupt a regular programme unless there was a significant development or national emergency matter,” Drayton said yesterday.

“Neither CNC3 nor TV6 were carrying it (the UNC press conference) ‘live’. It seemed to be a precedent – not only in local television history – that a regular programme was broken to carry a conference by an attorney and a bailiff. I think the story is certainly of news interest but is it of national emergency level? I said I do not intend to interfere with the news, but is it normal for CNMG to break programming or is this an abuse of the asset of air-time?” The chairman said that Ali told her, “Okay I will call.” She replied, “Thank you.” The conversation ended. Drayton did not watch the rest of the broadcast of the press conference which was abruptly cut ‘live’ onair, with no explanation from CNMG. As the controversy in relation to the decision of a bailiff to serve legal documents on Attorney General Faris Al Rawi continued, the abrupt termination of Monday’s press conference in which the bailiff involved sought to give his side of the story has raised questions with some alleging interference on the State’s part in the dayto- day media operations of the State enterprise.

The Attorney General, the titular head of the Bar, has been accused of evading and refusing service, in addition to a host of other Cabinet ministers in relation to the election petitions filed in court by the People’s Partnership challenging the September 7 election on the basis of the Elections and Boundaries Commission decision to change the poll hours on the day of the poll.

On Monday, a press conference hosted by People’s Partnership attorney Wayne Sturge and process server Mark Adams was broadcast as breaking news on CNMG at about 6pm. However, it was abruptly cut off without explanation at about 6.20 pm.

Drayton – who is also chairman of Government Information Services (GISL) – said she did not give Ali any instructions to end the broadcast, and did not communicate in any way whatsoever with the Attorney General on the matter.

“No, no,” she said in response to queries. From her perspective, her phone-call was not a matter of exerting pressure. While she said she had concerns about the broadcast, she did not watch the rest of the broadcast after she made her call to Ali. “Did I pull the plug on news? No, as chairman I called, I enquired whether this was a normal procedure. I have never seen it in the history of televison where you disrupt a local programming to bring something that is not a national development.” Asked if it was not in the nature of breaking news to disrupt regular programming, Drayton said, “It depends”.

Asked if the matter was not potentially news and therefore a matter at the discretion of journalists, she replied, “I could see it as newsworthy. As I said I am not interfering with news.

I asked a question of the CEO.” Might her call not be regarded as an attempt to exert pressure on subordinates? “If you are a CEO of the company and you are put there for your substance and understanding it is not just a matter because somebody calls you jump and you act,” she said. “He said okay I would call.” Did she object to this course of action or seek clarification given its implications? “No, I just said thank you and that was it,” Drayton said. “Why should I object? I did not know what he was going to do.” At the same time she added, “If I had called the newsroom, or a journalist I am now exerting influence.

The person I called was the head of the institution. It was normal.” She said Ali – who did not answer calls yesterday – agreed that her query was a legitimate one. Asked whether she knew what happened after her call, the chairman, who yesterday presided over a CNMG board meeting, said, “I would not know. After I spoke with him I did not look at the rest of the programme.” CNMG has been at the centre of controversy under successive administrations. Under the People’s Partnership, the sacking of a television host – who was accused of misogynistic comments – raised concerns that the political directorate was wielding influence on the successor organisation to TTT: the Trinidad and Tobago Television Company. Drayton has come under attack in some circles by persons who have questioned her independence in light of her decision to accept the CNMG, GISL posts under the PNM administration.

At the same time, she has also been praised for her integrity by politicians and civil society groups.