'My resignation from TVJ has absolutely nothing to do with the competitive media landscape.' -- Marcia Forbes.MARCIA FORBES, the outgoing general manager of Television Jamaica (TVJ), said she is not leaving the job because of the competitive nature of the local media environment.
Mrs. Forbes emphasised: "My resignation from TVJ has absolutely nothing to do with the competitive media landscape. In fact, for the six years that I have spent at the helm at TVJ, I have relished and thrived on competition."
Reacting to a Financial Gleaner story on Friday which spoke to competition in the local media, she said, "I am not a casualty of any competitive news media environment. Members of the Board of Directors of TVJ and RJR as well as my staff, are extremely saddened at my resignation and have openly expressed this. My decision to move on to another phase of my life has been carefully thought out and strategically timed to synchronise with TVJ's excellent financial performance and market leadership position. In life you must always leave when you are at your peak and no one wants you to go."
In a statement announcing the resignation of Mrs. Forbes, chairman and managing director of the RJR Communications Group, Lester Spaulding praised her leadership at TVJ.
The statement said: "In essence, Mrs. Forbes has indicated that she plans to undertake studies leading to her PhD and that she wishes to begin this as soon as possible, having already delayed it for several years until TVJ could be placed on a sound, competitive footing. The Group will therefore begin, in due course, our normal procedure towards the appointment of a replacement for her.
"We wish to record our appreciation for the invaluable contribution that Mrs. Forbes has made to the development of TVJ since its acquisition six years ago and which has led to the station currently enjoying a leadership position within the marketplace. Her contribution will be indelibly stamped on this phase of the Group's 53-year history and we feel confident that she will experience similar success in any activity towards which she turns her energetic and creative attention.
"By way of background, Mrs. Forbes joined TVJ in June 1997 one week after the take-over of the station by RJR. Her talents had first come to the attention of the Group in the early-to-mid 1990s when RJR applied for a cable TV licence and she served as the consultant who assisted the preparation of several of the documents for the bid.
"Among the station's major achievements under her watch are the following:
During the period 1997 - March 2003, TVJ moved from a loss position to one of solid profitability. TVJ is now a major contributor to the Group's bottom line. This performance was due, in part, to:
The negotiation of a variety of deals for the station for example, the multiple-year deals that which will see TVJ again having exclusive broadcast for the next World Cup Football, the WI Cricket Board's Home Series, and the popular Boys and Girls Athletic Champs. In addition to impacting TVJ's bottom line, those deals also positioned the station and the wider RJR Communications Group as the Caribbean's foremost entity for outstanding sports
coverage.
The export of TVJ programmes inclusive of 3.5 hours weekly between New York and Florida, with negotiations now under way to increase that quantity as well as to Caribbean territories such as Barbados and St. Lucia. TVJ has also on occasion provided 'live' links to countries across the globe, as well as to major networks such as CNN.
The growing of the station's local content by approximately 50 per cent, with the concentration being on sporting events such as the National Premier League competition that was aired on Jamaican television for the first time in 2003.
The establishment of TVJ as the leading Jamaican television station, overall 13.4 percentage points clear of its nearest competitor, according to the most recent All-Media Survey.
"The Group also saw returns in the gratifying number of awards in both qualitative and quantitative terms which TVJ has won for Jamaica over the years at the level of organisations such as the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association (CBA) and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU). In fact, the CBU recognised TVJ as the #1 station in the Caribbean in 2000.
"The RJR Communications Group again thanks Mrs. Forbes for her contribution to the growth of TVJ and the Group as a whole, and wishes her well in her future endeavours."
