THE Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Lester Bird, has called for a tripartite approach in the recapitalisation of the financially hobbled Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

He also feels a proposed restructuring process of the corporation should be done in a manner to avoid "conflict of interest" by media enterprises, the guarantee of improved news coverage of regional events and better quality management.

Bird's response to the cash-flow crisis that forced the sudden closure of the CMC on January 4, came in his address yesterday morning at the opening session of the one-day emergency meeting in St. John's of Caribbean Community Ministers responsible for Information and involving representatives of the CMC.

The CMC, which has had briefing meetings with officials of the Caribbean Community Secretariat prior to yesterday's meeting, initiated by Bird's government, has called on CARICOM heads of government for a "rescue package" with a mix of grants/loans and guarantees equivalent to US$2M.

Prime Minister Bird told the meeting that while his own government was prepared to be part of a plan to help the CMC out of its current problem -- one that has resulted in a serious void in coverage of regional events and developments --there would have to be "a precondition for government investment".

As he stated, the recapitalisation should come from three sources -- the media houses who own the corporate vehicles (Caribbean News Agency and Caribbean Broadcasting Union that became the merged entity that is CMC 17 months ago), the non-media private sector of the region and, of course, governments.

However, so far his own government was concerned, he feels that "a precondition for any government investment in a restructured CMC would be the requirement of both a financial and management audit into the operations of the CBU, CANA and CMC.

"I am sure", said Bird, "that we can vigorously pursue the capitalisation of a new structure even while these audits are proceeding, My government remains convinced that our region needs an indigenous regional news and information corporate vehicle such as the CMC."

In urging the meeting to explore his suggestions of a tripartite financing approach and for financial and management audits, Bird said it was obvious from the CMC closure that the corporate decision-making structure "cannot be restricted to representatives of the media houses who own the regional corporate vehicle."

The Prime Minister, who will again be discussing the CMC future with his colleague heads of government at their meeting next week in Belize, argued that "there is an obvious conflict of interest on the matter of whose interests are being served."

"Is it the interest of the regional corporate vehicle or the national media house which buys the services? Since representatives of the CMC's Board have a foot in both camps, can they be expected to serve either or both without conflict?"

Bird said that assistance to any recapitalised CMC, or new corporate structure, should not be seen simply "as a financial bailout. It must result in an improvement in news coverage, in the coverage of regional events and in the quality of the management and staff of the institution, notwithstanding the known capability of several individuals".

In commenting on the problems of the estimated 50 workers who were overnight thrown on the unemployment line, Bird said he was encouraged by the interest being shown in this aspect by the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) whose General Secretary, George DePeana, had written him on the implications of the CMC's closure for workers and the regional news flow.

Had it been a government that had taken such action affecting a group of workers, they would have been "heavily criticised by the very media houses that have now done it (sudden closure of the CMC)", said Bird.

The Prime Minister said that resolving the plight of the affected workers must be "an immediate priority of any financial arrangement made with the CMC".

Explaining his decision to initiate and host yesterday's emergency meeting, Bird said he was motivated by his own understanding of the vital importance of the role of the CMC as embodying both CANA and CBU and of information as a vital tool both in the development and integration of the Caribbean region.

"Without a free flow of information that is objectively and fairly gathered and widely distributed", said the Prime Minister, "both the integration project upon which we have embarked in the region since 1968, and the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) that we are now trying to bring to fruition, would flounder..."

A report from yesterday's emergency ministerial meeting on the CMC's future is to be forwarded for consideration at the Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM leaders that begins in Belize February 2.