BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (GIS) – Minister of home affairs and information, Wilfred Abrahams, believes that the state has a role to play in the orange economy, and the goal is to leverage media to bring about economic growth and cultural resilience.
Minister Abrahams was part of a panel discussing the topic “Media and The Orange Economy: The Role of the State”, as part of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union’s (CBU) 56th Annual General Assembly (AGA) conference day activities, at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Needhams Point, St Michael.
Also participating in the discussion were chair of the Barbados Broadcasting Authority, Dr Allyson Leacock; and director, Caribbean School of Media & Communication, UWI, Dr Patrick Prendergast.
“Indeed, we in this administration fully believe that Caribbean Governments need to develop supportive policies and fund mechanisms to nurture the orange economy and integrate modern media into its development. I believe that states should support by providing digital infrastructure and regulatory frameworks to enable the greater sector to thrive.
“Furthermore, I firmly believe that Caribbean Governments must play a crucial role in nurturing this vital sector. The region’s government administrations must actively foster innovation and entrepreneurship, I say region, because I believe that in order for the Caribbean to thrive in this global converged media landscape, there must be a holistic approach by all island states to establish a solid footing for the region in the fray of fierce global competition.” minister Abrahams stated.
He made two recommendations: Telecommunications licences for non-Caribbean companies should include provisions to restrict competition with indigenous media, especially legacy media entities, for access to their content, including archives, and media regulatory infrastructure should be amended to include “must-pay” requirements alongside “must-carry” rules.
As the minister responsible for information, he stressed the need for a robust digital ecosystem, access to finance, and streamlined regulations to facilitate the export of cultural goods. He also noted the importance of traditional media in disaster risk reduction and called for fair compensation from tech giants. Abrahams also urged traditional media to maintain their integrity and ethical standards.
In her presentation, Dr Leacock suggested that there should be a five-point State of the Arts Agenda that is “practical, measurable and regional in vision” for the viability and sustainability of the two sectors.
The five-point plan is as follows:
- Fund the Mission, Not the Moment – Move from one-off grants to mission-driven compacts with public service media;
- Protect and Monetise Caribbean Intellectual Property – establish a Regional IP and Rights Desk under a CBU-CARICOM framework to standardise contracts, clear music and archive rights across borders; and create a Caribbean Content Wallet (a micro-licensing system that lets small creators get paid when their work travels across platforms and territories);
- Commission at Scale through a “one per cent for Culture” Media Window – earmark one per cent of national advertising and sponsorship spend on state agencies for local creative commissions on PSM for documentaries, short films, podcasts, live performance captures, all produced with independent creators and carried by national broadcasters with digital syndication;
- Make Public Service Media AI-Ready Safely;
- Measure What We Treasure – create a Caribbean Creative Satellite Account in national statistics, so ministers of finance and central banks can see the Orange Economy in GDP, jobs and exports.
Overall, the participants agreed that modern media has an integral role to play in the orange economy and highlighted the interconnectedness of media, also known as the ‘fourth estate’, with other sectors. They emphasised that states have a critical role to play in safeguarding democracy, managing disinformation, and promoting social cohesion, while providing opportunities for media and creatives to benefit economically. It was also noted that better training and infrastructure are needed.
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