Pree Dis Widens Caribbean Scope on Flow TV

Kingston Jamaica; Producers of Pree Dis', Flow TV's hip entertainment and lifestyle show are looking to break new ground in its third year.  Executive producer Kevin Jackson says all indicators point to an outstanding 2012 for the half-hour, weekly show.

The show, which began airing on FlowTV channel 100 in October 2010, has developed its own unique brand of entertainment.  Jackson believes that the entertainment programme has come a long way in a short time and that he now has the capability to expand the show's base. "Things are much easier now that we have transitioned to the Flow network.  We are receiving the necessary support and gaining traction," he said.

The Pree Dis’ producer says the key to the show’s success is primarily derived from viewers’ strong appetite for celebrity interviews, fashion updates and music charts, which is bundled in the high energy half-hour segment.  Jamaican dancehall, which has gained a foothold in that region, remains the dominant theme. Since it first aired, acts such as Gyptian, Ce'Cile and Chino have appeared on Pree Dis'.

This year however, Jackson believes new features from around the Caribbean will attract even more viewers to the show.  Currently, Jamaica's entertainment scene accounts for most of the show's content. "We will be integrating more Caribbean events and interviewing more Caribbean artistes. We are widening our scope," Jackson stressed.

The producer and his five-member team which includes host/model Casmar James have laid the groundwork for the transition, zooming in on established and emerging performers from the Eastern Caribbean. Last year Pree Dis' covered soca star Destra of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as her compatriots Shurwayne Winchester and Lil Bitts.

Jackson continues to expand the range of the show by highlighting important aspects of the entertainment business not known to many. In their hit segment Pree Di Mix, sound system selectors and radio disc jockeys get an opportunity to show their skills and discuss the intricacies of their craft.  Popular DJs Supa Hype of the 007 sound system, DJ Nicco of Fame FM and Zip FM's DJ Liquid have been also been featured on the show.

Jackson, who has covered the entertainment beat in Jamaica and North America for nearly twenty years, says he will play a major role in Pree Dis' 2012 expansion, as its roving Caribbean reporter. "I have always been hands on with the show and you will be seeing more of me in 2012," he said.

Pree Dis' airs on FlowTV channel 100 Saturdays at 9:00pm with a repeat broadcast on Mondays at 6:00pm.

New TV Series Flows with historic perspective on Reggae Music

Kingston, Jamaica; An exciting new TV series once again puts the spotlight on Reggae - Jamaica’s very popular, indigenous music form. Reggae Strong, now available on Flow OnDemand, provides viewers with a fresh insight into the history of Reggae music in a uniquely packaged programme revealing why and how classic reggae music resonates with  people everywhere.

Since the 1960’s reggae music has been a significant aspect of the Jamaican cultural identity.  Reggae Strong captures the essence of the strong connection between reggae fans worldwide, and the music that they love.  

“Reggae Strong is a crucial time capsule of the flavours and rhythms of international reggae music that found a home in one of the cultural capitals of the world; New York City. This was the decade of roots and bands; musicianship was at its height and the message in the music was still very socially conscious,” said the shows producer Diane Gurwitz.

The 30 minute magazine format series features a variety of live performances and interviews with classic reggae artistes from Jamaica and overseas. Each episode promises a new experience for the viewer, with the show hosted by a different artiste at another location. Though driven by reggae music, Reggae Strong also highlights various aspects of Jamaican life, including cooking, crafts and style.

Reggae Strong features internationally famous artistes such as Maxi Priest, Third World, Ziggy Marley, Judy Mowatt and Burning Spear. The programme also pays tribute to a number of Jamaican icons such as Perry Henzell, Miss Lou, Jackie Mittoo among others.

Commenting on the nostalgic quality of the show Gurwitz said “Having put the material away for many years, I was blown away when I started ‘remastering’ at how fresh the material remains. I am sure people are going to love it. It captures the essence of a past period that was critical juncture in the history of this music.”

With Reggae Strong Flow OnDemand brings another authentic reggae experience to the screen. Reggae Strong is part of Flow OnDemand’s rich musical catalogue that enables viewers to choose from a host of programmes and listen to selections of their favourite music at their convenience, rather than being restricted by a pre-defined programming schedule.

“Flow is always looking for ways to highlight the many great aspects of Jamaican culture. We believe that Reggae Strong gives a vital voice to Jamaican music history in a distinctive and appealing format,” said Michael Look Tong, Director of Media Services at Flow explaining how the company got involved with the project. “We recognize the challenges that local producers consistently face in bringing their material to local screens.  Flow OnDemand provides a unique opportunity for them to share their work with a diverse audience.”

With Flow OnDemand viewers are able to choose from their favourite music, movies and TV shows. Jamaica’s only OnDemand platform offers an extensive video library with over 2200 of content that viewers can enjoy at their convenience.  Flow OnDemand offers categories of  programming for every age range, lifestyle and area of interest. Programming options include Kids On Demand, Movies on Demand, HBO on Demand, Sports On Demand, TV-Shows on Demand and Music On Demand.

Columbus Communications makes multi-billion dollar telecoms investment in the region

Kingston, Jamaica; Over 150 executives representing carriers and service providers who comprise the wholesale telecommunications industry are meeting in Montego Bay this week for the 2012 Capacity Caribbean Conference.

The conference, the only C-level meeting for the Caribbean wholesale market, opened with an insightful keynote presentation by Brendan Paddick, Chairman of Columbus Communications, parent company of Flow.  In a departure from the norm, the keynote presentation took the form of an interview hosted by Linda Wellstein, Chair, Global Technology – Telecommunications & Media Practice.

Left to right are: Moderator, Julian Rawle, Managing Partner of Pioneer Consulting; Paul W Scott, President & COO, Columbus Networks; Anthony deLima, CEO, CTEX; Michael W Branco, EVP & General Manager, Ignition and Greg Mooney, Director, Emerging Market Development, Verizon Global Wholesale. Senior Communications specialists met at the Rose Hall Resorts and Spa in Montego Bay February 7- 8 for the Capacity Caribbean 2012 Conference, the C-level meeting for the Caribbean telecommunications wholesale market. On day two of the conference panellists discussed several issues including the theme “Evaluating the overall business case for moving to the Cloud”. Over 150 executives representing carriers and service providers who comprise the wholesale telecommunications industry met this week in Montego Bay for the 2012 Capacity Caribbean Conference.

Paddick shared the story of the growth of Columbus Communications in the Caribbean.  Columbus Communications group companies in the region employ over 1,800 Caribbean nationals and serve 450,000 residential and business customers in Trinidad, Jamaica, Grenada and Curacao. Columbus operates a 18,000km subsea fibre optic network and a 21,000km terrestrial network that spans 22 countries and is the routing for most of the telecommunications traffic in the Caribbean basin. “We have invested US$1billion in the region and will likely invest that amount again over the next 5 years to take that up to US$2billion,” said Paddick when asked what’s next for Columbus in the Caribbean.

Paddick also revealed some of the innovations planned by Columbus in the region when he disclosed plans for delivery of 300MB to the home for residential internet users in Jamaica and a TV Everywhere product currently being trialed in Trinidad to enable consumers to “do anything on anything, anywhere.”  Paddick said that recognizing that Caribbean people are aspirational and early adopters of technology focus on ensuring and enabling the region to stay ahead of technological curve is a key driver for Columbus. 

Empowerment of youth through technology is another important pillar of the Columbus group companies across the region. Paddick reiterated the company’s commitment to providing free broadband services to every school in the areas the company serves. Already in Jamaica, Flow delivers free commercial grade internet and cable TV service to over 150 schools through its Building Leaders through Technology programme.

Jamaican Horseracing Fans to enjoy a bit of ‘Luck’ on HBO

Kingston, Jamaica; Horse racing enthusiasts are in for a treat this Sunday, February 5 when the new HBO original series Luck premieres on Flow’s network on Channel 518 at 9 pm. The horse racing drama, which is directed by David Milch (Deadwood, NYPD Blue) and Michael Mann (Public Enemies, Ali),  takes a thought-provoking look into the world of gambling and horseracing, a very popular industry in Jamaica.

A sneak-peak of the series premiered in December 2011 to rave reviews overseas, scoring 75 out of 100 by television critics. The provocative TV drama which sees Oscar award winner Dustin Hoffman making his television series debut as the star of the show, also stars Nick Nolte and features actors Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Costner, Ian Hart and Tom Payne.

The nine-episode thriller is set to hit the mark with the local Jamaican horseracing fraternity.  According to Jeanette Lewis, Public Relations Manager at Flow, “The series is timely as horseracing is a thriving industry in Jamaica. We are pleased with the premiere of this engaging new show   which explores several aspects of the sport and offers our viewers a programme they can identify with.”

Set at the racetrack in California, the television drama thoroughly examines every aspect of the business behind horseracing and the impact it has on the people involved. From the owners and trainers of the horses to the jockeys, agents and gamblers, every character is linked to the track. Based on screenwriter and producer David Milch’s childhood gambling experience with his father, Luck makes a profound statement about the overarching theme of how ‘luck’ is defined and redefined, leaving nothing to chance.

More popularly known for his role as Shifu in the 3D animated movie Kung Fu Panda and the comedy Little Fockers, Hoffman is making his first recurring appearance in a TV series.

Luck centers on the character Chester “Ace” Bernstein (played by Hoffman), a tough and intuitive gamester with a long history in gambling. After being released from a three year term in prison, he teams up with his longtime driver and friend to execute a strategy to profit at the track.

Arnella Chin, Track Price Plus Operations Manager comments, “Horse racing is the most popular sport in Jamaica and has become a part of our culture. The sport carries a strong tradition of fun and sportsmanship, bringing the thrill of winning to people from all walks of life. This new series should attract the attention of the many horse racing fans across Jamaica.”