This message was received from Farouk A Muhammad, who served as Programme Director of ttt from November of 1963 to June of 1978.
Farouk was the first national to be appointed to the position of Programme Director and his contribution to the development of television in Trinidad and Tobago will always be remembered. His message, entitled THE LEGACY OF TTT @, was read on the staff reunion on Saturday, Nov. 03, 2012.
Ladies and Gentlemen… Members of the ttt fraternity.
My congratulations to all who made this event possible. I was told that the initiative came from the “younger” members of the ttt staff list.
Well done!
Fifty years ago, ttt was inaugurated and today, the service no longer exists. In our hearts, however, the memories of our individual and collective experiences live on.
This will forever be like this because those who contributed to the growth and development of ttt from 1962 to the closing of its doors also pioneered television in Trinidad and Tobago.
The ten television services now operating all reflect a bit of ttt and you must be recognised for this as you paved the way and laid the foundation for those now working in the television industry.
A truly remarkable achievement!
We must also pay tribute to those who came from CBS-USA, Rediffusion-UK and Thompson International-Canada and set up Trinidad and Tobago Television.
They were also responsible for the initial recruitment and, as such, made it possible for many of us to be part of the organisation.
They will all be remembered for making tv possible in Trinidad and Tobago.
ttt was also the beneficiary of technical and training assistance from foreign institutions and agencies in the USA like Syracuse University. In the UK, the BBC; the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; the Dutch Training Institute in Holland and Transtel in Germany. We also received support from UNICEF, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Union.
Thank you all once more for your contributions to ttt.
We are here today, some in the present and others like myself, in spirit.
This is so because we all share a common bond of having been part of the ttt experience. That, in many ways, helped to define us as individuals in life and as professionals in the media.
There are many who have departed and who are possibly together today looking down at us from the “big studio in the sky.” I am advised that a scroll listing the names of those who have passed on has been prepared and is on display at your function today. We must not forget them and we must be thankful and appreciative that they added value to the development of ttt.
We must all be proud as we assisted, participated and contributed in making the Independence of Trinidad and Tobago a reality.
The role of the media and ttt in particular, must not be minimised in the weight of the contribution which was made to help establish the cross-over from a British Crown Colony to an Independent Nation, now also at fifty years and still evolving.
ttt helped to establish and contributed to bind this new country.
One of the core objectives of ttt was to develop the service for nation building, a vision which was remarkably executed by all who participated in a diverse range of locally produced programmes.
ttt was a founding member of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, the C.B.U., and played a significant role in developing the television arm of the Union.
It worked with fellow regional broadcasters to establish a Caribbean Community as mandated by CARICOM.
ttt was also a member of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Union and actively participated in a number of global broadcasting initiatives.
While ttt is no longer a broadcast facility, the work which you did as contributors to the various aspects of local productions and with your service to the support systems, you made ttt a successful business venture for many years.
That achievement will always stand firm and tall as the history books will always reflect the business of ttt as one of its outstanding successes.
The ttt experience is unique as one had only a single opportunity to be part of the inauguration and the foundation building of television in Trinidad and Tobago.
The challenge lasted for many years.
From 1962 to the transmitter being turned off, your diligence, creativity and love for the media did not diminish.
This is the legacy of ttt, its Staff and Freelancers, as well as the Advertising Agencies and Independent Producers.
You made it possible for others to emulate and today there are hundreds whose livelihood came out of those pioneering efforts.
Bravo!
Be proud of the part which you played to establish and develop the Trinidad and Tobago television industry and, at the same time, exposed the arts, culture and daily activities of the nation.
You are among those Pioneers who helped to establish a new industry in a new nation and earned yourself a place in history. ttt was not just a tv service but it was a community of people. There were many marriages, friendships for life and experiences which are forever etched in our memories. As we grow older, I am sure that many will recall the ttt experience as possibly being some of the best years of our youth.
In our lives, no matter where we go, we will each carry a piece of ttt with us as well as the friendships which we made. The ttt spirit is alive and well among us. We should endeavour to ensure that these memories do not fade in the coming years.
This is a challenge for the “younger” members among us.
I wish each and every one a most pleasant celebration on this our 50th Anniversary.
May your future years be enveloped with the satisfaction of having participated in a worthwhile endeavour… for it was more than just a job,… it was a life experience.
Thanks for the memories.
And for those of you with whom I had the opportunity of associating on a personal level, you are not forgotten.
Every now and again, I chuckle at some of our shared experiences.
ttt…. May it live forever!
Farouk was the first national to be appointed to the position of Programme Director and his contribution to the development of television in Trinidad and Tobago will always be remembered. His message, entitled THE LEGACY OF TTT @, was read on the staff reunion on Saturday, Nov. 03, 2012.
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| The original ttt logo ... the eyes of the nation |
My congratulations to all who made this event possible. I was told that the initiative came from the “younger” members of the ttt staff list.
Well done!
Fifty years ago, ttt was inaugurated and today, the service no longer exists. In our hearts, however, the memories of our individual and collective experiences live on.
This will forever be like this because those who contributed to the growth and development of ttt from 1962 to the closing of its doors also pioneered television in Trinidad and Tobago.
The ten television services now operating all reflect a bit of ttt and you must be recognised for this as you paved the way and laid the foundation for those now working in the television industry.
A truly remarkable achievement!
We must also pay tribute to those who came from CBS-USA, Rediffusion-UK and Thompson International-Canada and set up Trinidad and Tobago Television.
They were also responsible for the initial recruitment and, as such, made it possible for many of us to be part of the organisation.
They will all be remembered for making tv possible in Trinidad and Tobago.
ttt was also the beneficiary of technical and training assistance from foreign institutions and agencies in the USA like Syracuse University. In the UK, the BBC; the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; the Dutch Training Institute in Holland and Transtel in Germany. We also received support from UNICEF, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Union.
Thank you all once more for your contributions to ttt.
We are here today, some in the present and others like myself, in spirit.
This is so because we all share a common bond of having been part of the ttt experience. That, in many ways, helped to define us as individuals in life and as professionals in the media.
There are many who have departed and who are possibly together today looking down at us from the “big studio in the sky.” I am advised that a scroll listing the names of those who have passed on has been prepared and is on display at your function today. We must not forget them and we must be thankful and appreciative that they added value to the development of ttt.
We must all be proud as we assisted, participated and contributed in making the Independence of Trinidad and Tobago a reality.
The role of the media and ttt in particular, must not be minimised in the weight of the contribution which was made to help establish the cross-over from a British Crown Colony to an Independent Nation, now also at fifty years and still evolving.
ttt helped to establish and contributed to bind this new country.
One of the core objectives of ttt was to develop the service for nation building, a vision which was remarkably executed by all who participated in a diverse range of locally produced programmes.
ttt was a founding member of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, the C.B.U., and played a significant role in developing the television arm of the Union.
It worked with fellow regional broadcasters to establish a Caribbean Community as mandated by CARICOM.
ttt was also a member of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Union and actively participated in a number of global broadcasting initiatives.
While ttt is no longer a broadcast facility, the work which you did as contributors to the various aspects of local productions and with your service to the support systems, you made ttt a successful business venture for many years.
That achievement will always stand firm and tall as the history books will always reflect the business of ttt as one of its outstanding successes.
The ttt experience is unique as one had only a single opportunity to be part of the inauguration and the foundation building of television in Trinidad and Tobago.
The challenge lasted for many years.
From 1962 to the transmitter being turned off, your diligence, creativity and love for the media did not diminish.
This is the legacy of ttt, its Staff and Freelancers, as well as the Advertising Agencies and Independent Producers.
You made it possible for others to emulate and today there are hundreds whose livelihood came out of those pioneering efforts.
Bravo!
Be proud of the part which you played to establish and develop the Trinidad and Tobago television industry and, at the same time, exposed the arts, culture and daily activities of the nation.
You are among those Pioneers who helped to establish a new industry in a new nation and earned yourself a place in history. ttt was not just a tv service but it was a community of people. There were many marriages, friendships for life and experiences which are forever etched in our memories. As we grow older, I am sure that many will recall the ttt experience as possibly being some of the best years of our youth.
In our lives, no matter where we go, we will each carry a piece of ttt with us as well as the friendships which we made. The ttt spirit is alive and well among us. We should endeavour to ensure that these memories do not fade in the coming years.
This is a challenge for the “younger” members among us.
I wish each and every one a most pleasant celebration on this our 50th Anniversary.
May your future years be enveloped with the satisfaction of having participated in a worthwhile endeavour… for it was more than just a job,… it was a life experience.
Thanks for the memories.
And for those of you with whom I had the opportunity of associating on a personal level, you are not forgotten.
Every now and again, I chuckle at some of our shared experiences.
ttt…. May it live forever!
Farouk A Muhammad - (PD - Nov. 1963 to June 1978)
For pictures from Saturday's reunion please CLICK HERE to visit the ttt FB page
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