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“We’re sorry that you caught us!”
The CNC3 media house has admitted to misleading its viewers and the Trinidad and Tobago public today, over the arrest of its crime show host, Ian Alleyne, in arguably the most self-serving and insincere apology since Raymond Tim Kee’s statement two weeks ago.
Tim Kee, who caused an uproar after bizarre comments in the wake of Japanese pannist Asami Nagakiya’s murder, retorted that his: “comments were completely misconstrued… could have been considered out of line but… also received calls of support.”
He is now the former Mayor of Port of Spain.
So, what did CNC3 have to gain by letting Tim Kee write their own letter of apology?
For those living under a rock or merely fortunate enough to have fulfilling lives, let Mr Live Wire bring you up to speed.
On 16 February 2016, TV6’s Beyond The Tape host Inspector Roger Alexander and CNC3’s Crime Watch host Alleyne both found themselves at the alleged scene of a domestic violence incident and decided to have an impromptu cocolooks measuring competition.
Inspector Alexander won hands down—primarily because he was the only one in the competition with a real police badge and bass in his voice—and Alleyne was asked to leave the premises.
Alleyne demanded a recount and insisted on getting the casting vote. Alexander, who presumably had never heard of “tips play over”, was infuriated and decided to take matters into his own hands and bodily toss Alleyne out.
At this point, a confused Alleyne deduced that perhaps Alexander’s grasp of the English language was the problem. So he switched to French.
Alexander promptly informed the pseudo crime fighter that he was under arrest for obscene language and resisting arrest, and introduced him to the side of a SUV and a pair of non-decorative handcuffs.
On the night of February 16, CNC3 broadcast the video of the arrest, minus the obscenities.
Initially, viewers assumed that Alleyne did not curse Alexander and the fake policeman was being framed by the real one. A case of real life imitating art impersonating real life.
CNC3 Crime Watch host Ian Alleyne (right) is taken for medical treatment by a policeman.
(Copyright CNC3)
CNC3 said nothing.
Then, some astute observers noticed that CNC3’s broadcast was edited and wondered aloud what the media house was hiding.
CNC3 said nothing.
On Friday February 19, TV6 obtained the full footage of the altercation between the two television hosts and proved that, contrary to CNC3’s footage, Alleyne had in fact used obscene language.
CNC3 said nothing.
On Sunday February 21, the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) issued a statement which suggested that Alexander used excessive force in executing his arrest. MATT also demanded answers from TV6 and the Police Service with regards to the Beyond The Tape programme.
(Courtesy TV6)
And, in a scolding derided as too soft by critics, MATT declared that it was: “disappointed with and deeply concerned about CNC3’s apparent breach of a fundamental principal of journalistic ethics i.e. misleading the public.
“The video broadcast by CNC3 purporting to show the public the confrontation was edited to exclude the use of obscene language by the Crime Watch host. It was CNC3’s duty to inform the public that the video had been altered.
“Not having done so, CNC3 omitted essential features of the confrontation and that omission amounted to misrepresentation. This left the public none the wiser until a rival media house obtained and broadcast the full recording.
“This breach of duty requires CNC3 to make amends with the public it serves and the industry in which it operates.”
And, finally, CNC3 took the bait and stepped right into it: “… we removed offensive material from the video of the arrests of Mr Alleyne…”
Whether inadvertently or not, MATT proved that you can indeed catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
That is, of course, if MATT’s declaration that a media house might have breached a fundamental principle of journalistic ethics, misinformed the public, misrepresented a confrontation involving its crime show host and breached its duty to the public was indeed too soft.
If you answered “yes”, Mr Live Wire thinks you should promptly locate a loved one and demand double your current quota of hugs. Trinidad and Tobago is more uptight than Colm Imbert with a spreadsheet these days.
But back to CNC3’s laughable claim that “in hindsight, we recognise that we should have also publicly indicated that an obscenity was used.”
How do you not know that obscene language is relevant when showing a video of an arrest for obscene language?
Does the CNC3 head of news try to play tennis without a racket? Or try to drive home without a car?
The following is CNC3’s release on its doctored video of Ian Alleyne’s arrest and the one that would have gone out if Mr Live Wire was their head of news:
(Courtesy CNC3)
CNC3 News “Statement on Ian Alleyne report”:
Since its inception, CNC3 News has always upheld the highest standards of journalism and we recommit ourselves to those. We wish to make it clear that, at no point did CNC3 intend to deliberately misled the public in our reporting on the arrest of Ian Alleyne.
In our desire to abide by the provisions of the Telecommunications Act, we removed offensive material from the video of the arrests of Mr Alleyne, which was not lawfully fit to be published in a newscast.
In hindsight, we recognise that we should have also publicly indicated that an obscenity was used. If any of our viewers were misled, we unreservedly apologise.
Mr Live Wire statement, on behalf of CNC3 News:
Great Carnival eh, viewers?! Well, uh, maybe not. Ahmm…
Anyway, we find it necessary to make a statement regarding our depiction of the arrest of our star crime show host, Ian Alleyne.
Allyuh ketch we dey in truth. First of all, I want you pat yourself on the back. Stand up and pat your own back. Don’t you feel good about yourself?
Why did we do it?
Look, all we have is Ian Alleyne. Allyuh don’t understand. We fed up of just being the station you have to click past to get to TV6.
Everybody wanted the man and we get him. And then TV6 send their big bully to rough up the man like he was trying to jump up with Yuma or something.
(Courtesy TV6)
What allyuh woulda do?
Look, we just got caught up in the fake reality thing and didn’t really think it through. We’re sorry…
Oh gorm, allyuh talk bout Tim Kee some more nah!
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Dave Lux how gov’t reach in this all yuh out of timing real BAD
Marcia tv 6 is #1.
The damage has already been done. But to me they are still #1 with the news
Stop
I WILL NEVER WATCH CNC3 AGAIN. I WISH I COULD ERASE FROM MY TELE
What surprised…. well you hv no idea what CNN,BBC,fox,ABC,showtime, HBO and the list can go on it’s called media control…?
who wrote that apology….former Mayor Tim Kee?
So what’s new dey now show dey hand and dey jack geh hang
So what’s new dey now show dey hand and dey jack geh hang
This goes to show how govts. Get elected ……the media mafia
Wait…what happened to just bleeping the obscenities out…isn’t that what broadcasters normally do? CNC3 jokey too bad.
“At this point, a confused Alleyne deduced that perhaps Alexander’s grasp of the English language was the problem. So he switched to French.” LOL
The problem was never with that character parading as a crime fighter, all the while acting all Hollywood, larger than life and showering itself with praise. The problem is when the people who hired it becomes so caught up with ratings that they blatantly lie in the name of protecting it, even though they recognized that the situation was way more than a journalist being wronged. For lacking ethics they will now have a decision to make. Is the comical fairy worth losing credibility over or do we ditch it in an attempt to prove that two wrongs don’t make a right?
“the most self-serving and insincere apology since Raymond Tim Kee’s statement two weeks ago”
Tim Kee probably wrote their “apology” for them as Lasana suggested.
They are still the best in news
I wonder how many stories they edit and lied to us about Something to make think can’t trust them no longer.
CNC3 is saying, “sorry for @#%%# cussing allyuh.” They are doing the same thing they are apologising for – misrepresenting.
The ‘apology’ seems to be written via a collaboration between Gerald Ramdeen and Francesca Hawkings.
Is CNC3 attempting to apologise for ‘inadvertedly’ misrepresenting facts by misrepresenting facts?
With an apology like that is best thing they cuss all ah we, because apparently they seem to think that the people who look at their station are fools…..hmmnn…(now there is an interesting thought).
After Golda Lee Bruce attempts to defend this, is she going to sing another gospel song? I feel for her; it will take some real backbone to get through this – defending the indefensible.
CNC3 may have asked someone with a legal background to draft that apology, but should have sought someone with a PR background.
The ‘apology’ is essentially saying,
“We geh ketch, but we still think allyuh dotish, so we sorry…not for being wrong, but because you dotish. We have a higher standard than you all, that is why you can’t understand this kinda highness. We’ll try to bring it down to your level next time – so allyuh could understand wha we doin.” Signed Raymond Tim Kee, oops, sorry, CNC3.
BTW, “CNC3 would like to thank the former POS Mayor for his valued advice and guidance during this controversial period.”
Breaking NEWS: All five people who look at CNC3 have demanded a better apology.
CNC3 responded by saying that ,”we told the truth, but it wasn’t the truth truth.”
..LOLOLOLOL.Yeah. Right..
Ey Lasana them media people really good with theyself…..ENT!!!!!
“Teacher Percy say if yuh tell ah lie yuh going to hell as soon as yuh die” #kaiso
Credibility lost. Can’t be trusted
https://www.facebook.com/liznwill/posts/10153352985016120
Let the haul deh abcdef.
They might be able to save some face if the head of news is relieve from his/her duties I am sorry to say.
We already know the man is a cuss bird , He now have to hang his head in shame ,and he bush lawyer lol
Lasana…
What puzzles me is that MATT is deeply concerned with the excessive force used against Ian Alleyne by his former cohost. But why so one sided? Shouldn’t Inspector Alexander be given a lil sympathy for being chooked in the waist and for receiving a dread cuss? Maybe Alexander is just seen as the big bad wolf and Ian is innocently carrying cookies for Grandma in MATT’s eyes… Come on MATT… Alexander is probably a teddy bear at heart lol
“Tips play over”…..Lasana brought me back to my boy dayz pitching marbles for “self” in Belmont, bai.
Yuh suit pressed Marc Aberdeen?
Does it need to be?
Well I see yuh naming names so I making sure yuh courthouse ready
How am i naming names? I think you are misled here.
Sigh. It’s really not that serious dude. #WHEFADDA
#notsureifserious
You do realise that I copy and pasted a quote right? Its kinda hard for me to tell sarcasm from unknown people over the interwebz nah.
Eh. I concede. Glands seem to be on overdrive tonight bai
Quote from a certain “Brave” person, “I smell sunity’s hand all over this. That MATT release and release of the uneidted video I belive was done for the wrong reasons. So this episode remains the wrong thing still.” End quote.
LOL!
Lasana what does our broadcast code say about false or misleading information?
Yet CNC3 allowed Ian Alleyne to bring his lawyer on air to further perpetuate the lie for days after. Unreserved apology my foot, this latest development is only because their blatant dishonesty was exposed. #CNC3noCredibility
I asked one of the supervisors at Xtra Foods if they could not change stations because Ian was showing a charred body in a car on the CR Highway. She said everyone liked that show. Ian was for the poor people and their hero. All i could think was but he is such an arrogant buffoon with scant respect for the TV crew much less for anyone else.
Think on this: a show dedicated to solving crime whose anchor is a known liar and willful breaker of Trinidad and Tobago’s laws, that is also sponsored by an alleged criminal and wife beater. That is a parody? Nope just a classic day in the lives of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
Beverley, I think my daughter was two years old and with me at Xtra Foods one time when Alleyne introduced her to a dead body the first time.
And Dominic Kalipersad’s response was basically I could change the channel somehow.
What’s next? Will our country’s self proclaimed ‘Commissioner of Police’ resign or will he drag CNC3 down in shame with him.
Dat even possible?
And i don’t look at that show unless i am in the checkout line at Xtra Foods at that time and i happen to look up.
In the words of the Mighty Sparrow “that’s is all, that’s is all”
Crime watch still #1
Thanks for contributing to the downfall of our country ????smh
If I still look crime as the #1 how does that contribute to the downfall of our country
Lies and cover ups …..misleading the public ….disrespect for the Law..ect…ect…ect..
Dotish is really as dotish does oui
She is dotish as dem in womantra
A a. Like somebody call yuh name or wha? Or is dat yuh well aware dat yuh dotish and is u I was talking about?! Very perceptive indeed!!
How she mouth dutty so….she lewd and vulgar like womantra
Dotish is a lewd and dutty word now. You’re even more asinine than I can even imagine yow
She mouth stink tonight bai !!!! I hope nothing else stink
Trini Don, that is over the line and not okay at all for our group. Absolutely not. And you should concede that you just crossed the line.
It appears the only way some men know how to interact with a woman that is not submissive is with vulgarity. No wonder men of this ilk believe women would be responsible if they are assaulted by guess what?! Other men that think like them. Sad really
Lasana Liburd your point is duly noted, and I concede that I cross the line…hope you have a great day man….
I call in WOMANTRA to petition and call for resignation !!!!
Interesting that MATT did indeed get revealing responses from its press release eh. Side note…
Lol. Agreed
Somebody really should resign or be fired if CNC3 expects anybody to take its news department seriously again…
Yep. They know exactly why they didn’t just do that.
What they did was dishonest and their intention was to mislead the public into believing that Alleyne did not use obscene language. In my view this is a criminal act because it is the ‘cussing’ of the Inspector which led to Alleyne’s arrest. To edit the tape by removing only the part where the ‘F’ word was used by Alleyne which he directed to the Inspector who had instructed him to leave the premises as a police operation was in progress.
awaiting the wire report on MATT
please my best station just lost points…….whats done is done……the writing was already done……
Doesn’t take much to the kill the reputation of a news media organisation. And no amount of damage control or apology really repairs trust and undoes damage.
Why didn’t they just bleep out the obscenities instead of editing them out if they were truly trying to stay within broadcast law and didn’t have an agenda to paint Alleyne in a positive/victimised light and Alexander in a negative/brute light?
Just report the facts news people and let the chips fall where they may.
Yep Third or better yet Turd world TV station! ENT?
Yuh have to be so?! ?
But yeah… A show called crime watch on a station that tampers with evidence. ??
That kinda irony wouldn’t happen everywhere.
A cocolooks measuring contest indeed! But it does leave us to wonder what other footage may have been “edited” over the years eh. Smh
Exactly… just sorry that we caught them.
Smh