Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA)last week honoured three local media personalities for their contribution to the industry: Hans Hanoomansingh, Allyson Hennessy and the late Trinidad Guardian cartoonist Dunstan (DEW) Williams.The occasion was the Association's annual dinner and awards on Friday at the Queen's Park Oval.
The careers of both Hennessy and Hanoomaninsgh span more than 40 years in the field of news and current affairs and culture. And both of them have been pioneers in their field.
Hennessey, who began her TV career hosting a cooking show, was perhaps one of the best known personalities on morning television and she remains dedicated to media.
Hanoomansingh broke new ground during his radio career at what was then Radio Guardian when he introduced Indian music to mainstream radio. He was also one of the nation's original television news anchors.
Hanoomansingh was one of the people behind the launch of the country's first all-Indian radio station, WABC 103 fm, in the 1990's and currently operates his own radio station, Heritage Radio.
Hennessey has maintained her culinary skills in Veni Marge, one of the country's finest local restaurants.
Williams had been a fixture in the newspaper world, churning out outstanding humorous commentaries and satire in his cartoons which appeared under the name DEW in the Trinidad Guardian.
Mark Lyndersay, who spoke on behalf of Williams, described him as a shy man but who used wit to encapsulate "the very essence of who we are" everyday in his cartoons.
Hanoomansingh told the audience, "There is no greater satisfaction than receiving accolades from the industry itself." He also spoke of entering the broadcast media at a time when there was no East Indian musical content on the radio other than in limited and segregated times on one radio station.
He was and continues to be one of the country's most recognized cultural ambassadors. One of his outstanding achievements was the development of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) from a small community organization to a national insitution.
He also pioneered Divali Nagar and led the drive to celebrate the 1995 landmark celebration of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Trinidad. He was one of the first persons to lobby for the change of the nation's highest national award from the Trinity Cross to the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Hennessy, who was one of the pioneers of talk television at what was then Trinidad and Tobago Televsion (TTT), met and interviewed national personalities, visiting dignitaries and international artistes. She did it with charm, wit and professionalism and was able to make everyone laugh.
One of her more memorable assignments, she noted, was meeting and interviewing the country's first prime minister, Dr Eric Williams. She remarked that she was "terrified" to do the interview and told her audience when she eventually arrived at the prime minister's residence it was Williams himself who greeted her.
She is bothered at the deterioration of broadcast standards in Trinidad and Tobago and wondered what has happened to Producers, asking whether in the broadcasting industry today everyone has just become lazy.
Editor's note:
I have worked with both Hans and Allyson. Hans was my English teacher at high school before he entered the world of broadcasting and was partly responsible for my love for broadcasting, which led to my own successful career in television journalism at TTT and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). We have worked together on many media and cultural projects and continue to do so.
I had the privilege of working in television as Allyson's producer on the morning show Community Dateline. She was a dedicated professional who brought a refreshingly original style to her work and was able to put everyone at ease no matter what the circumstance. She redefined the art of the interview.
I didn't know DEW personally, but until his passing, he set the tone for my day with his brilliance as the country's foremost editorial cartoonist.
Jai Parasram Toronto
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