THE MEDIA
The media is one of, if not the most stressful job around. The average person only sees or hears the end result of several hours of grueling work. A one hour show can take weeks to actually produce. Often times, a radio/ TV Broadcaster [media worker] ends up broke and alone after dedicating his/herself to several years in the most demanding field of work for a measly take home salary or stipend.
Furthermore, there's absolutely NO amount of money that really compensates a media worker. In fact, media work is not a job. Rather, media work - be it Radio, TV or Newspaper - is a way of life.
As a matter of fact, the spouse of a media practitioner in many cases walks out on [divorces] the media worker. Other times, media workers wind up being addicts of substances - especially alcohol and tobacco. This is a fact that is often times overlooked by people by their peers since media workers do not like to discuss the brutal realities of their profession.
Even knowing of such a troubling reality, many media workers continue in what can often times can be considered a dangerous field. Additionally, most media people - especially those locally - get little or no respect. Ask Eugenie Mason -- a female Grenadian media veteran who has had to deal with verbal abuse from a former Prime Minister of Grenada.
Because one works in the media - especially radio, TV - the general public is of the impression that these practitioners are financially loaded. A classic example of that would be when Mr. George Grant - host of Sunday's with George Grant - was recently buying coconuts on The Carenage. When the vendor realized who the "buyer" was - George Grant - the price of the coconuts miraculously increased, with no explanation. After being in the media - on Radio - for approximately 15 yrs - I've also had similar experiences as George.
When George Grant still did his weekly Sunday morning show -- Sundays with George Grant -- a couple days after his mother died, I was not really surprised. As a professional, George has a responsibility to his sponsors - many of them have been with him since the show began five years ago.
One listener called in to the program voicing his surprise that George was On-Air. In fact, George showed all that he is a true professional by doing the show despite his mother's passing. To those who think George was being insensitive, George's mother would not have expected "Sunday's with George Grant" to be shelved because her duty here on earth was completed. To the listener who called in to the program stating his surprise that George was on, clearly he would not survive one day in a professional media environment.
Furthermore, hypothetically speaking, if Mr. X has plans to take his family on a family vacation, but the day before going with his family to Orlando, Florida, Disney World, "The President" dies -- if Mr. X is a true professional, the much anticipated family vacation will proceed, minus Mr. X.
Dan Rather of CBS, at one point was being paid more than The President of the USA. Having said that, the fact that a television news anchor is paid that much, should say a lot about the importance of media. To say that this is the Caribbean and not the USA, and that regional media houses cannot afford to offer better pay to their staff, is most probably why regional media houses - especially Grenadian media - are the way they are.
I have been recuperating from what may be considered by many people a catastrophe -- surviving four brain surgeries. As a result of those surgeries, I am dealing with some humbling side effects.
Guess what field or where I am highly likely to consider as a means of employment?
In the meantime, I only listen radio on Sunday mornings, and I ONLY look at local news - JUST to know bout "Nazimatics".
Anyway, later eh! Ah going and eat. How did you guess?? - Cheesecake, ice-cream and black-cake & sorrel [wid 3 block ah ice].
Actually, wishful thinking!!!
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