ECCO elects new board of directors to oversee affairs

A new board of directors has been elected to oversee the affairs of the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for music rights (ECCO) over the next two years.{{more}}

The election took place at the fifth Annual General Meeting of the organization, held on Saturday, August 16.

The new board of directors is as follows: Shala Emmanuel (St Lucia); Gordon Finch (Antigua & Barbuda); Gaspar Llewellyn Gill (St Lucia) ; Wayne Green (Grenada); Hugh James (St Lucia); Martin James (St Lucia); McCarthy Marie (Commonwealth of Dominica); Shayne Ross (St Lucia); Ian Sanchez (St Lucia); Gandolph St Claire (St Lucia); and Joffre Venner (St Vincent & the Grenadines).

ECCO chair McCarthy Marie, in his Chair’s Report, highlighted some of the achievements of ECCO in the year under review including: membership increase of 10.78 per cent across the ECCO territories; achieving a 11.98 per cent growth in licensing revenue; negotiating joint digital agreements with sister societies; digital revenue began to flow in; increase in the use of digital monitoring of broadcasters; increase in licensing of regional festivals/events; producing first Annual Report.

As at previous AGMs, the twin concerns of members continued to be the low level of airplay of local music and the increasing operational cost of the organisation.

Members called on ECCO to help re-establish the Association of Musicians and Performers, so that this organisation can perform the role that ECCO is not mandated to do, such as spearheading the drive for more local content.