After four years of news reporting, Gayelle News is signing off for the last time tonight. After several days of deliberation the management of Gayelle The Channel finalized a decision to release the members of its News department due to finanacial challenges facing the company since the start of 2009.

"In light of what is going on across the region, Gayelle too has been feeling the crunch. Our advertising revenues are down 50% and we are concerned about what it's going to be like for the rest of the year. So, we have to restructure. One of the first things we have done is close down our News department, it was our biggest area of loss of revenue. We will also have to make some other changes in other parts of the company to stabilize through this period."

-  Errol Fabien
-  Executive Director
-  Gayelle The Channel


This evening will represent the news teams' final broadcast and after all their years of dedicated service, we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Calling All Kite Makers, Kite Flyers and Kite Professionals!

Gayelle The Channel in is heading to the Queen’s Park Savannah this Easter Sunday for “Come Fly Your Kite.” This is a competition for the best ‘Gayelle-themed’ kite. The person with the best Gayelle kite will receive a special prize!

All participants must call or contact Gayelle The Channel to register. Simply say… “I’m coming with my Gayelle kite!” And leave your name and a telephone contact to register. It’s that easy!
Also, stay tuned to Gayelle DAYPRIME every weekday from 9:30 am to 4:30 am for special features on kite making in Trinidad and Tobago, the Language of Kite Flying and the Different Types of Kites.

To register to fly your Gayelle kite call: 628-6340, 628-2937 or 622-7954.

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Surprised were we to receive a call from Horticultural Services Division (not to be confused with the Horticultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago) that the activity we are planning in the Savannah this Easter Sunday requires permission from this so-called management arm of the Queen's Park Savannah.

In a long conversation with a Mr. David Chadee of the HSD, Gayelle was told that we would have to request permission to invite our friends and family to the Savannah for our kite flying activity on Easter Sunday. Since when do people need permission to lime in the Savannah? Mr, Chadee insisted that since this was an "event" that use of the Savannah had to be applied for through his organization.

So we asked for a fax of the application forms, but alas, Mr. Chadee confessed that there were no official application forms, that we would we would only need to write a letter indicating the logistics of the event. However, he said that since "another mysterious media house" was having a similar event on Easter Sunday in the Svannah, permission would not be granted for that date, and Gayelle would have to choose another date or another venue.

Will this other mystery media house be using the ENTIRE Savannah, Mr. Chadee?? Plus, Gayelle's activity is not an EVENT per say. We are going to the Savannah to lime with friends who will be flying kites, and will already be there. We will not be setting up tents, hiring a DJ, setting up semi permanent stage structures and booths and otherwise destroying the lush green grass and flora of the Savannah grounds.

Under what authority does this organization have the right to refuse admission to the Savannah? Mr. Chadee told us that they operate under the Queen's Park Act. Upon our investigation, he seemed to be referring to The Queen's Park Act of 1882!!  1882?? Were we even an Independent Republic when that Act was written, Mr. Chadee??

Upon further research we discovered that "...present use of the Savannah-Botanic Gardens is governed by a 1950 Ordinance under which the Division of Horticulture is charged with both maintenance and development programmes." Also that, "a special committee by the Cabinet in mid-1975 charged with, among other responsibilities, an examination of the existing management practices. They responded to the Cabinet in 1977 "...all management responsibilities should be consolidated within the Division of Horticulture including the perimeter of the Savannah, the programming of facilities, and granting use permits for special functions."

Special functions... do these sorts of "special functions" include the activity of kite flying, which is a traditional past time of Trinbagonians, typically engaged in during the Easter weekend? We'll be taking your advice under consideration. In the meantime, we heading to the Savannah!