Flow reports high Jamaican viewership of the US Elections

Race to the white house commanded 60 per cent of local viewership

Last Tuesday, Jamaicans at home were glued to their television screens for hours, to see who would be declared the next President of the United States. Anticipation built with the announcement of results from each state as viewers turned to one of the many international news networks available on Flow’s digital cable television service. The swelling tide of viewers that flocked to their screens proved once again that the diverse offerings of the broadband provider accurately tap into the needs of the information hungry public.

Tuesday’s election outcome can be described as a nail-biting finish as President Barack Obama successfully won a second term in the Oval Office, staving off the Republican candidate Mitt Romney.  Jamaican viewers had access to the diverse range of coverage via the news channels carried on Flow’s digital cable TV service.

 Michael Look Tong, director of media services at Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, operators of theFlow brand in Jamaica, revealed that viewership of news networks during the election night coverage was “uniquely high”.

“The election coverage was clearly a special situation and, as expected, the numbers confirm that Jamaican’s were very interested in what would be the final outcome,” he said.

According to Look Tong, Flow’s Advertising Intelligence (AI) Reports indicate that during the critical peak hours of 9 pm to midnight, CNN dominated with its coverage of the elections, commanding up 18 per cent of viewership. Our local stations also benefited from the high interest in election coverage as TVJ and CVM secured second and third place rankings throughout the night.  NBC and MSNBC followed as other popular  choices for viewers. The average percentage of viewership of the top news stations from 9 pm to midnight was 60 per cent of total viewership across Flow’s network during that period.

Leading up to the election, foreign policy experts and leaders of the business community indicated that Jamaica’s position in regards to relations with the US would be the same regardless of outcome of the US Presidential race. The high viewership, however, confirms that many Jamaicans remain concerned with the outcome and its impact on key issues including immigration, the US foreign policy and foreign aid, and energy.

The Jamaican economy is strongly aligned with the recovery of the US economy, and will feel the impact of America’s immigration policies, especially as much of Jamaica’s foreign exchange comes from remittances from Jamaicans within the Diaspora. Tourism interests would also be impacted by America’s economic recovery. 

Look Tong admitted that the viewership pattern highlighted by the AI report does not come as a complete surprise.  “We expected a strong night for the international cable news channels,” he said.  “We carry a diverse range of news channels which provides our customers with the exposure to different points of view.”

Major international news networks carried by Flow include CNN, BBC, MSNBC, Fox News, Bloomberg and CNN International.   At the eleventh hour when all eyes were on Florida, Flow customers were able to get additional down to the minute coverage from the Florida via NBC (WTVJ), Fox (WSVN), CBS (WFOR), and ABC (WPLG) channels.

Western Schools advance to round 2 of Flow in My School Technology Competion

Three Schools in Western Jamaica will try to win the hearts of audiences across the island as the make their debut on Flow TV’s newest series – ‘Flow In My School’ during the month of November.

The three schools - Corinaldi Avenue Primary, Herbert Morrison Technical High and St. Elizabeth Technical High School are semi-finalists in the Flow In My School Technology Competition and are  in the running with 11 other schools from the Corporate Area and St. Catherine, to win the grand prize of an upgraded computer lab.

The competition is a part of Flow’s Flagship Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in which they power over 140 schools across the island with free commercial grade Internet and digital Cable in a bid to enhance the schools teaching and learning environments.

Students of Corinaldi Avenue Primary School performing their cultural piece for the Flow In My School TV series.  The school will make its debut on Sunday, November 18 at 6 pm on Flow TV, channel 100.

 “There is such a diverse range of semi-finalist schools in the competition, and we are particularly pleased that Flow is able to offer the broadband technology that drives the innovation behind many of the activities you will see in this TV show.   We are also grateful to our partners at the Ministry of Education, HP, Microsoft and the Jamaica Observer who recognized the value of this initiative and did not hesitate to come on board,” said Denise Williams, director of corporate and government affairs at Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, operators of Flow.

“We also hope that Jamaica will tune in each week and root for their favourite school in this new and exciting series that will air each Sunday on Flow TV,” added Williams.

The grand prize for the two winning schools will include eight all-in-one HP computers, an electronic Mimio white board as well as individual prizes including a laptop and tablets.

The other schools that have advanced to the next round are Windward Road Primary and Junior High, Campion College, Allman Town Primary, Angels Primary, Braeton Primary and Junior High, St. Andrew High School, Harbour View Primary, Jesse Ripoll Primary, Rollington Town Primary, Waterford Primary and Meadowbrook High.

Flow in My School airs each Sunday at 6pm on Flow TV Channel 100 with a repeat on Wednesdays. The series showcases how schools across Jamaica are using technology to revolutionize the teaching and  learning process, as well as the creative and exciting ways they celebrated Jamaica 50.

Flow to Make Christmas Better

Christmas is the time of year when Jamaicans make every effort to connect with their relatives and friends in other parts of the island or overseas as part of the holiday season celebrations.  With Flow’s broadband technology, it’s easier than ever to make these connections with the fastest internet speeds and crystal clear telephone calls at the most affordable rates. The company has announced new offers that will give consumers savings of as much as $6,000 when they sign up for service between now and the end of the year.
Flow has introduced a special promotion with a range of special deals and free gifts for all customers, that make staying in touch and celebrating Christmas better than ever.

 All new Flow customers who sign up for service will enjoy the benefits of free installation of services,  free service for 1 month  and free upgrades, depending on the Watch, Talk of Click product they choose.

“We are committed to ensuring that our consumers get the best value for the services that enhance their lives, and enable them to enjoy special moments,” Said Michele English, president and coo of Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, operators of the Flow brand. “We know the importance of connecting with loved ones, and are pleased to be able to offer the technology to enable that.  We believe that the special offers we have for every customer will help to make this Christmas better, and also allow us to say thank you to our customers for choosing Flow.”

Flow is making internet service even more affordable for consumers by giving free installation and a free wireless upgrade for all customers who sign up for  any internet (Click) package.   With the fastest internet speeds available, Flow delivers the best experience for surfing and streaming with faster file downloads, the  best quality and performance for on-line gaming, and a Skype experience without the bother of buffering. A Flow Click package is a great gift for students who can take advantage of a range of online education resources.

Customers who select a Talk package will get free installation plus a free Flow Connect service for 1 month. Flow Connect makes it easier and more affordable for those overseas to call home to their friends and family in Jamaica. This package provides the Flow customer in Jamaica with a US, Canadian or UK landline telephone number that rings on the home one in Jamaica. When the person overseas dials the number, the call is charged as a local call to the caller, therefore saving the cost of an international call.

Flow’s digital cable TV service (Watch) gives customers the best value for home entertainment with the most channels plus the option to view programmes OnDemand.  For this holiday season, Flow is giving all new customers free installation and free service for one month of their base package. In addition, as a gift from Flow, all customers will have free access to Flow’s Subscription Video OnDemand service during December. This means that in addition to the scheduled programming on the over 300 channels on the Flow network, every customer will be able to watch over 1,000 hours of movies, TV series, concerts, documentaries and kids programming, when they want and as often as they want.
 
“For this holiday season we have created opportunities for our customers to give themselves and their loved ones gifts that have real and lasting value,” English remarked. “We continuously aim to offer services that enhance the lives of Jamaicans and transform the ways they play, work and learn.”

Since 2006 when Columbus Communications began offering services to Jamaican consumers, the company has quickly become the leading provider of digital cable, landline and internet. The company’s technology continues to have a profound impact on the way Jamaicans do business, enjoy entertainment at home and connect with the world.

Value Flows OnDemand

Domino’s and Flow Partner to deliver Pizza and a Movie in a Living Room Near You

As consumers continue to seek affordable and economical options for family entertainment, home-based solutions are gaining popularity; particularly those that offer choice and convenience. Flow OnDemand let’s customer watch what they want, when they want from the comfort of their own home. With Flow OnDemand, consumers are able to enjoy a variety of in-home entertainment options and avoid the higher costs that are associated with out of home entertainment events.

Jamaican consumers have had access to Flow’s Video OnDemand service since 2010. With Video OnDemand, consumers are able to purchase videos from a large library of an extensive variety of content, to watch at their convenience in the comfort of their home. Flow’s Video OnDemand library includes  hundreds of hours of programming for all ages and preferences, including movies, TV series, local plays, music events, and children’s programming.  Every month more content is added so that customers can always find something new and entertaining to watch. 

“We are committed to ensuring that the technology we have brought to Jamaica provides consumers with affordable access to state-of-the-art entertainment options as part of their cable television service,” said Michele English, president and coo for Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, operators of the Flow brand. “Flow OnDemand is the perfect solution for consumers who are seeking to manage their budgets while still needing to make the time to relax and enjoy the entertainment of their choice.”

With the price of a premiere movie being only $350.00, Flow OnDemand enables an entire family to enjoy a blockbuster movie at home, for less than it would cost to purchase a single ticket at the cinema.

In order to bring even more value for customers, Flow has partnered with Domino’ Pizza for a special offer that will further enhance the in-home family entertainment experience. Every week between October 15 and December 9, 50 customers will get a free Flow Pizza Party Package  when they watch the movies Battleship and American Pie: The Reunion on Flow OnDemand.  The first 50 customers to watch either movie titles each week will receive a package containing Domino’s newly launched buttery handmade Pan Pizza, a serving of light fluffy cheesy bread, warm delicious lava cakes, and 3 20oz sodas.

“Domino’s is widely considered the Delivery Experts in the pizza industry.  One could actually say we deliver hot, delicious pizzas to thousands of customer per week “On-Demand” – so partnering with Flow OnDemand is a perfect fit,” says Sean Scott – CEO of Wisynco Foods Ltd. “In addition to providing world class delivery service, Domino’s is also committed to providing the best value for customers. Therefore, we are very excited for the opportunity to provide 50 customers per week with dinner and a movie for the entire family at the low cost of $350,” explains Scott.

Battleship, a summer 2012 blockbuster movie, features Barbadian-born pop singer Rihanna in an action adventure about a fleet of US Navy ships forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origin in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals. American Pie: Reunion is the 3rd in the popular America Pie series of movies and depicts the continuing adventures of a group of friends reuniting after their first year of college. These two movies are just 2 of a library of over 100 movie titles currently available on Flow OnDemand.

Flow is the first and only cable service provider to offer OnDemand programming in Jamaica. The broadband service provider also offers consumers the option of a monthly Subscription OnDemand package where a single monthly fee offers unlimited access to over 1000 hours of programming. Flow OnDemand is accessed via Flow Channel 1000, where viewers can scroll through a list of all On Demand content to select the programme of their choice.

Schools to Demonstrate Best Practices in Flow Technology Competition

On Wednesday, October 3, Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, operators of Flow and Columbus Business Solutions, introduced a Technology Competition for schools as part of its ‘Building Leaders Through Technology Programme’ in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Microsoft and the Jamaica Observer. 

The competition dubbed the ‘Flow in My School Technology Competition’, seeks to highlight excellence in the use of technology and share best practices. Participating schools should complete their registration online with a 500-word essay on how they use technology and how they have or will be celebrating Jamaica 50.



President and chief operating officer of Columbus Communications, operators of the Flow and Columbus Business Solutions, Michele English, is photographed with students of Jamaica College (JC).  Jamaica College is one of the more than 140 schools across the island who benefit from free commercial grade internet and digital cable as a part of the ‘Flow Building Leaders through Technology’ initiative.  The media briefing for the Flow in My School Technology Competition took place yesterday, October 3, at the Wyndham Hotel.



The competition is open to all schools that currently use Flow donated services of high speed internet and educational cable line-up.

Participants will compete for the grand prize which will include eight All-In-One HP Computers, an Electronic Mimio White Board as well as individual electronic prizes including a laptop and tablets for the teacher and participating students.

Hon. Ronald Thwaites, Minister of Education, who gave the keynote address at the briefing, addressed how technology could be used to enhance the quality of education in schools.

“We are offering a product which does not excite the minds of many of our students…The creative and compassionate use of technology from the early stage allows us the prospect of a bright new future for this land. After all, this is Jamaica 50 and we are on a mission to provide quality education.”

Minister Thwaites also spoke about the upcoming e-Learning project facilitated by technology provided by Flow, which would provide for education equity for students across the island.

“…Because of the internet connectivity by Flow, and the technology sponsored through their partners… the plan is to roll out a pilot basis an option for education which would provide the very best education… to our students in the most remote areas in Jamaica in areas of weakness in Mathematics and Literacy. This is an entirely different vista for our people, a virtual epiphany for our people,” he said.



The competition which will be open for online registration until October 8, is also giving schools that make it to the semi-finalist round, additional exposure through its television channel, Flow TV.  Semi-finalist schools will be featured in a short programme highlighting interested facts about their schools and showcasing aspects of their entries on technology usage and their Jamaica 50 celebrations.

Michele English, president and chief operating officer of Columbus Communications Jamaica Limited, hopes that this year’s competition will set the stage for a national calendar event, in the years to come.  According to English, “Since Columbus’ inception the focus on enhancing education has always been a priority. Through our flagship corporate social responsibility programme, Building Leaders Through Technology, more than 140 schools over 10 parishes, are provided with commercial grade internet and cable connections to enhance the teaching and learning environments.  Our high-speed broadband service and digital cable connections in schools located in both urban and rural areas, has leveled the playing field to enable the kinds of innovations that our teachers and students need to propel us into the next generation of great thinkers, entrepreneurs and nation builders.”

The briefing also gave teachers in attendance useful insight on technology trends in the classroom through a presentation by Dr. Parris Lyew-Ayee, Director of Mona Geoinformatics Institute.   Dr. Lyew-Ayee explained that students were comfortable with technology and teachers should incorporate them in their teaching methods to be more effective.



“…Exposing children to technology at an early stage, makes them comfortable with it. It leads to experimentation and innovation… Technology is an enabler for growth and it should be a comfortable learning tool… Flow has made the infrastructure available. You should [make use of the technology],” he said.

Teacher Mark McKnight of Drews Avenue Primary School thanked Flow for their contribution and for introducing the competition. “The exposure that the students will receive as a result of the competition is great for them.  It will certainly provide them with motivation to push ahead and learn more. Flow is doing a great thing here. They are certainly innovators in technology and providing the school with what the students need to excel, we are certainly grateful.”

Schools who wish to check their eligibility and register for the competition should visit Flow’s Facebook page and click on the Flow In My School Technology Competition tab.  Schools can also email buildingleaders@flowjamaica.com for further information.