Guardian Media Limited's Managing Director, Lucio Mesquita, announced a number of structural changes to the business today.
In an address to all staff from the floor of the Guardian newsroom, an address that linked staff in Chaguanas, San Fernando, Port-of-Spain, Tobago and the group's radio station in Guyana, Mesquita said the new structure is designed to make the most of the digital revolution sweeping the media sector by moving towards a "digital first" strategy and away from traditional platform-based divisions.
From now on, Guardian Media will have Content, News, Sales and Production departments instead of its previous Radio, Television and Print divisions.
General Manager for Television, Nicholas Sabga, becomes the new Head of Content, responsible for all content across the business, including an emerging new digital operation.
A new multimedia Sales department will be headed by current Radio GM, Steve Dipnarine, and a new Production department, bringing together engineering and print operations, will be managed by Anthony Seegobin, the company's current Chief Technology Officer.
A reconfigured News department will bring together all Guardian Media's news and current affairs, under the leadership of TV Head of Content and journalist Shelly Dass. She will have ultimate responsibility for the editorial content of the Guardian and Tobago Today newspapers, CNC3 News, radio news and the company's growing digital news presence.
Orin Gordon, appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Guardian newspaper in February last year decided to leave Guardian Media at the end of this month. Gordon said he is leaving journalism after 25 years in the business, to pursue other professional interests. GM Print Cyntra Achong has opted for a new role in the ANSA McAl group.
Mesquita said that the changes were needed to make sure Guardian Media had a strong future at times of considerable challenges to the media industry as the digital revolution disrupts traditional revenue models. Globally, newspapers in particular have been suffering with a steep fall in advertising revenue with ad dollars also migrating away from radio and television to digital platforms.
He promised a "digital first" approach to Guardian Media with more multimedia content to users and advertisers.
Guardian Media owns the Guardian and Tobago Today newspapers, six radio stations in T&T under the TBC network banner, a station in Guyana and CNC3 television. It is also rolling out a number of electronic advertising billboards under the Big Board Company.
In the first six months of the year, Guardian Media Ltd saw a drop in revenue due to a reduction in advertising, with a significant fall in profit as a result. The changes announced will also reduce overall senior management costs as part of the company's drive to increase efficiencies and control costs.
