A sharp tongue-lashing was the gift that Information Minister Selmon Walters brought to the recently held National Broadcasting Corporation’s (NBC) dinner and awards ceremony.

The festive season could not tame Minister Walters’ show of disgust at the poor turn out to the end-of-year gala affair; less than half of the seats at the Tropic Breeze Hotel dinning room were filled on December 30.{{more}}

“It is down-right disrespectful,” Minister Walters said as he addressed those gathered.

He accused some employees of deliberately trying to disrupt and sabotage the organization and warned that he was determined to see the “obstacles” to the radio station’s development removed.

“If there are obstacles we have to remove them. We must demand a high standard,” Walters said.

Walters further warned the NBC staff not to allow their political preferences to interfere with their commitment to the station. He also challenged them to work for more than their wages and to see themselves as part of the NBC family and work towards the development and advancement of the station.

Chairman of NBC’s board Kenneth Browne, in his address, said that the station was on the right foot and expected that 2007 would present new challenges but was confident that they would be able to achieve success.

For her part, Managing Director Corletha Ollivierre, told the staff that they could look forward to moving into new spacious facilities by the end of the first quarter of 2007. The building, under construction, will house both NBC and the Agency for Public Information (API).

She lauded the strides made by the corporation in training and skills development.

“Skills development and continual training are critical as we move deeper into the decade,” Ollivierre said.

Several awards were given on the night but it was morning announcer, Desmond Arrindell, who won the Employee of the Year honour. Arrindell also excelled in advertising during 2006, as he was responsible for one-third of the station’s advertising revenue.

The Programming Department, headed by Junanita Francois was given the award for excellence in departmental output.