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FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9348
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000374 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/TPP/IPE AND WHA/CAR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD KIPR TD
SUBJECT: WORKING TO END TV PIRACY IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO? 
 
REF: 07 POS 1154 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Officials from the Telecommunications Authority of 
Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) met with a CBS International 
representative and EconOff to discuss the illegal broadcast of a CBS 
affiliate by T&T's major cable operator, Flow.  While TATT indicated 
its interest in assisting in this matter, it noted that removing the 
channel would be wildly unpopular and possibly politically 
untenable.  The CBS representative said that her firm could overlook 
the issue with its affiliate if Flow agreed to broadcast its 
international channel and continued to block the affiliate when 
local channels held the rights to CBS programming.  TATT agreed to 
assist CBS in making contact with Flow, but made no promises as to 
the cable company's response.  Regardless of Flow's decision with 
respect to CBS' international channel, CBS is unlikely to pursue the 
copyright violation in court as T&T is a lucrative market for its 
programming. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Having reached a content agreement with HBO-Latin America 
in October 2007 giving it the rights to broadcast 25 channels, Flow, 
T&T's major cable TV provider, expressed interest in pursuing 
additional broadcasting rights (ref).  However, Flow has made little 
progress towards this goal in the past nine months, with the 
Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) pointing 
to Flow's difficulties in generating interest in T&T's small market 
among rights holders.  Recently, however, GOTT officials indicated 
their renewed interest in legitimizing the cable channels and 
informally requested Embassy assistance in communicating with rights 
holders.  Among the channels that continue to be pirated by Flow are 
ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On July 30, TATT representatives Steven Bureaux (Senior 
Manager Legal and Regulatory Affairs) and Cris Seecheran (Acting 
Executive Director) met with CBS International's Sales Manager 
Stephanie Pacheco and EconOff to discuss the illegal broadcast of 
the U.S. based CBS affiliate.  Bureaux immediately spelled out 
TATT's priority -- to determine how Flow could legally broadcast 
U.S. network affiliates or the equivalent content repackaged for the 
international market. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Pacheco explained that the CBS network is not sold 
internationally and U.S. based affiliates cannot be broadcast 
overseas legally because CBS does not own the rights to the entire 
programming line up.  It purchases the rights to broadcast a number 
of shows from other studios, as do its affiliates.  However, CBS 
International does own the rights to all of its news and public 
affairs shows, some of its sports programming and a number of 
popular comedies and dramas, which it repackages for the Latin 
American and Caribbean region.  Pacheco noted that CBS' 
international channel was created for the Spanish speaking audience 
in this region.  Thus, as with the HBO-LA feed, programming is in 
English while the commercials are in Spanish.  In addition to CBS' 
international channel, T&T's local stations can and do buy the 
rights to a variety of CBS shows.  In fact, Pacheco noted that T&T 
is CBS International's third largest market in the Latin American 
and Caribbean region. 
 
¶5. (SBU) While Bureaux said the decision to enter into an agreement 
with CBS ultimately rests with Flow, TATT would help bring the 
company to the table to discuss these options with CBS.  Bureaux 
explained, however, that even if Flow broadcasts CBS' international 
channel, it is unlikely to remove the CBS affiliate from its line up 
since the international channel would not offer identical 
programming.  Further, Bureaux admitted that politically it would be 
very difficult for TATT to force Flow to block the network 
affiliates.  Public demand for these channels is simply too strong. 
Pacheco noted that when local channels purchase the broadcast rights 
to CBS material, Flow effectively blocks the pirated network 
affiliates to guarantee the legal rights holder an audience. 
Pacheco indicated that CBS would be satisfied if Flow agreed to 
purchase and broadcast its international channel, blocking the CBS 
affiliate when there was overlap. TATT indicated it could support 
such an arrangement and would try to assist in bringing Flow to the 
table. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: TATT made clear it will not make the unpopular 
decision to block the network affiliate station.  CBS International 
seems to understand this and is unlikely to pursue the matter 
further, particularly given its success in selling programming to 
local channels and the prospect of selling its international channel 
to Flow.  In a follow up email to Econoff, Pacheco reported that 
after returning from T&T, representatives from Flow's parent company 
Columbus Communications (a Canadian Company headquartered in the 
Bahamas) contacted her to set up a meeting.  Having had little luck 
in the past contacting Columbus, she suggested that the Embassy's 
participation in the meeting with TATT contributed to the rapid 
 
PORT OF SP 00000374  002 OF 002 
 
 
response.  TATT and Flow will have to engage in similar discussions 
with NBC, ABC, and a handful of cable channels if it wants to 
totally "eliminate" cable piracy.  These entities may or may not be 
as willing to overlook the fact that an affiliate will remain on the 
line up along side any international channel they sell. 
 
KUSNITZ