The 40th NCVO Radio/Telethon is going
ahead on Saturday October 19th at The Prospect Playhouse
without the Telethon.

With only two weeks of being on air
CITN, as it was known then, (the for-runner of the marketing name
Cayman27) televised the NCVO Telethon as a separate broadcast from
the Radiothon.

It was 32 years ago. I remember it very
well as I was one of the presenters, along with Barrie Quappe. My
wife, Joan, read a poem and wrote the words to a jingle (that Chuck
and Barrie composed the music for).

It was broadcast separately from the
radio for about five years when it was decided to host it
simultaneously, as, in then Manager, Loxley Banks words, “We sat at
our desks at the Radio Station with silent phones.” Such was the
power of television over the radio in such a short time.

Joan has continuously read her poems at
every televised NCVO Telethon.

Who would have imagined that our
Premier, Alden McLaughlin, after 32 years, would force the closing
down of the television station.

In a press release he said, in words
that intimated, steps would be taken quickly by him to feel the gap.
Proudly, just last week, it was announced the Cayman27 News programme
would now be filled by CIGTV, the Government owned Television Station
with help from the Cayman Compass. Of course, Caymna27 was not
named. It was just a local television station. The writer of the
release had quickly forgotten the name of the television station.

I have asked the question “Will CIGTV
now broadcast live this year's NCVO Radio/Telethon?” I have yet to
have an answer and neither have the persons behind the Radio/Telethon
received one.

Eden Hurlston of Oneworld
Entertainment, who is putting together all the entertainment for the
evening, told me, “Despite the unfortunate loss of our TV station,
Hurleys will be Live Streaming and airing the show.”

It won't be the same and it will be a
very, very, sorry occasion if there is a sharp drop in revenues the
NCVO will receive this year.

Perhaps the Premier himself, will give
a huge open donation to make up for the loss if that happens?

I hope there is sufficient publicity
for the event, because to date I have seen and received very, very
little.

A Radio/Streamathon. The very first of
its kind, I believe, anywhere.