Digicel: C&W NOT PREPARED TO SUPPORT LOCAL TALENT

The battle for supremacy in the region between two of the leading telecommunication providers is continuing with a fresh attack from Digicel on Cable & Wireless sincerity.

Digicel has accused its arch rival of taking steps to prevent its customers from taking part in the popular Rising Stars programme.

“We regret that Cable & Wireless have declined to facilitate their customers participation in the series as this only denies votes to the featured home grown talent”, said one of Digicel’s leading executives in the region, Paloma Clarke.

Following is the full text of a letter which was sent to our News Desk by Clarke, Regional Marketing Manager - St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada Digicel - Southern OECS:

I am writing to ensure that the public are aware of the true situation surrounding voting on Rising Stars.

This is to correct the misleading comments contained in a letter sent to the media across Grenada by Sheldon Keens Douglas, Marketing Manager - Cable & Wireless on Tuesday 12th September 2006.

On the 28th June 2006, Digicel formally requested that Cable & Wireless participate in the 2006 Digicel Rising Stars series.

This offer was not only extended to the Grenadian market, but also to the seven other countries participating, in the Digicel Rising Stars series namely - Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua, Anguilla, St. Kitts & Nevis and Dominica.

On Thursday 13th July 2006, Digicel was informed that Cable & Wireless operations in Barbados would not participate in the Digicel Rising Stars series. Three days later on 16th July 2006, Digicel was informed that Cable and Wireless operations in Grenada and St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua, Anguilla, St. Kitts & Nevis and Dominica would not participate in the series.

If Cable & Wireless had decided to facilitate their customers taking part in the 2006 Digicel Rising Stars series, their customer base would have technically been able to use the same short code.

In order to do this, all that would have been required from Cable & Wireless was to undertake some testing in collaboration with Digicel. This has been done in the past in a previous Rising Stars series held in Jamaica.

Based on numerous calls received into the Digicel call centre, it became necessary to implement a crawl on the weekly program to inform them that they could not participate in the voting.

The Rising Stars Series is a platform to showcase the best talent across the region and to enable them to have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of becoming stars. We regret that Cable & Wireless have declined to facilitate their customers participation in the series as this only denies votes to the featured home grown talent.

As lead sponsors, we will continue to promote the development of local talent and look forward to the continuation of what is already an exciting competition.

The 2006 Rising Stars series will continue to be aired on Sundays at 8.00 p.m. on GBN.

Sincerely,

Paloma Clarke
Regional Marketing Manager - St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada
Digicel - Southern OECS