Caribbean Star Network Corporation, a provider of direct television services, marked the beginning of its presence in Anguilla with an opening reception and cocktails at the Anguilla Great House on Saturday May 10. The function was attended by a number of invited guests from the business sector and the community in general.

The ceremony was chaired by Accountant Marva Thompson who said it was held to introduce the partners in the venture and to offer the public “the best type of entertainment through TV satellite in the Caribbean and throughout the world.”

She invited the company’s Chief Executive Officer in Anguilla Hugo Rey, to speak about Caribbean Star Network. He told his listeners that the idea of providing home television programming in Anguilla by satellite was conceived in 2000. Later partners were identified and brought together as a working team in an effort to bring the idea to reality.

Mr. Rey continued: “The name Caribbean Star Network was selected from a number of names and was agreed upon and combined with the origin and delivery of the product. The Caribbean Star Network Corporation was registered in April 2001. Soon after registration the company embarked upon vigorous communication with DIRECTV concerning satellite for home services for the people of Anguilla. It was very hard work trying to convince this large corporation that a population, the size of ours, would make a difference. After one and a half years of communication… an agreement was signed by DIRECTV and Caribbean Star Network Corporation (CSN) to make the service available to the people of Anguilla.” He described DIRECTV as a world-wide corporation providing digital crystal clear state-of-the-art satellite home entertainment programming.

Samantha Bopa of Galaxy Caribbean, (partners with DTV) and Vice President Franklin Lopez, DTV Latin America and the Caribbean

“CSN believes that the people of Anguilla needed a wider choice of programming and will embrace this state-of-the-art technology,” Rey went on. “There are many features offered by DIRECTV among which are parental controls and over 150 channels. The DIRECTV signal will be transmitted from the satellite to a dish antenna that will be installed on your homes and businesses then to a decoder connected to your television and you will enjoy the fabulous programming of DIRECTV. It is believed that you will find out eventually what you have been missing…

“Our goal is simple. CSN promises to provide outstanding services which include impeccable standards of sales, installations, customer service, bill payments and financing of the DIRECTV system for subscribers. A customer service centre is situated in the Caribbean Commercial Centre. We have certainly achieved a lot and have come a long way and for this we give thanks.” He was grateful to the Executive Branch of Government and other officials in the public and private sector for their assistance.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development, Commerce and Industry, Marcel Fahie, advised Caribbean Star Network to ensure in its communications over the coming months that a clear distinction is established between itself and Caribbean Star Airlines. He pointed out that this was necessary to prevent persons from thinking that the company was a subsidiary of the airline.

He congratulated the promoters, owners and investors of Caribbean Star Network for conceiving the idea of bringing DIRECTV to Anguilla. “From Government’s standpoint we are extremely happy because this makes it possible for consumers to exercise a choice,” he observed. “The fact that it is happening now is extremely timely because the Anguilla Government recently concluded an agreement with Cable & Wireless in relation to telecommunications and the opening up of the market to competition. I have to say that even though the focus of those negotiations had to do with two-way communications and little to do with broadcasting per se, the two are related in that both two-way communications and broadcasting utilise essentially the same technology.“It means therefore that Caribbean Star Network has an opportunity even now to begin looking at diversifying its services.”

Fahie noted that the company might wish to provide internet, voice and other services later on. He stated that in March this year Government had sent a letter of approval to the company to bring DIRECTV services to Anguilla. He pointed out however that Government was unable to approve any other services at that point and had agreed that in the fullness of time the company would consider expanding its services. He congratulated the company, its legal and accounting personnel and other advisers for their patience, determination and vision to bring the matter to this point.

Mr. Fahie disclosed that the company was not ready for trading as the licence certificate was not actually issued because there were still some matters to be worked out in terms of certain conditions of the operations. He added that a recent meeting had however shown that those matters could be resolved shortly to allow the company to begin trading no later than the beginning of June.

Vice President of DIRECTV for Latin America and the Caribbean, Franklyn Lopez, said the company was “very pleased and proud to bring DITECTV to the people of Anguilla.” He stated that this would not have been possible without the efforts of the people of Caribbean Star Network who were very diligent and persistent about the potential that the new service could bring to the Anguillian community. He was grateful to the Government for its support and looked forward to the commencement of the direct television service to the island.

Cross section of attendees at opening ceremony

The Operations Manager of Caribbean Star Network in Anguilla is Robert Ragozzino who is well known here and has been among the leading promoters of the service on the island.

l-r: Leslie Lief, CSN owner, Hugo Rey and Robert Raggazino - Operations Manager CSN

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