[October 26, 2009] Local television station dismisses another manager Tweet Oct 26, 2009 (Turks and Caicos Net News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Local television station, WIV TV Channel 4, has dismissed Cheryl Shand, who has served as programme manager for the station in recent years. Shand was reportedly dismissed effective October 6, 2009. She is expected to be replaced by personnel selected by the Florida-based owners. Shand is the grand-daughter of now deceased Nathaniel "Bops" Francis, who was pressured into resigning his Chief Minister position after the Blom-Cooper Commission of Inquiry of the mid 1980s. Shand made news over one year ago when she sought to prevent Pastor Jeffrey Handfield from purchasing air time to rebroadcast a sermon he delivered on the station that was critical of what he described as the immoral conduct of then Premier Michel Misick. In 2007, the owners of the television station and cable network also dismissed general manager Peter Stubbs who now is the owner/manager of PTV (People's Television) of Providenciales. This dismissal arose after Stubbs offered to purchase the station from the US investor. Stubbs also has a working arrangement bringing cable television to the islands of North and Middle Caicos. PTV anchorwoman and reporter Deandre Hamilton left WIV to join the PTV operation when it began to broadcast. Only Stubbs has a licence to operate a television service in the TCI and WIV4 continues to operate without a licence. The New Media station channel 7 was also operating without a licence and is funded by government. They are now are reported to be operating under a statutory arrangement. It is not clear why Shand was dismissed. She has announced she is seeking compensation from the station's owners for her dismissal. She is represented by law firm Misick and Stanbrook, the firm headed by attorney Ariel Misick QC, brother of former premier Michael Misick. The station's owners, which are headquartered on the west coast of Florida in Tampa, Florida, also own the power company TCU, which furnishes electrical power to the capital island of Grand Turk and Salt Cay. They made news after Hurricane Ike devastated Grand Turk and Salt Cay, when they refused to restore power to individuals and businesses that had payment arrears. Jay Saunders, son of former Chief Minister Norman Saunders, heads the Digicel mobile phone operation in the TCI. Digicel was seeking a cooperative arrangement and possible purchase of the WIV operations in 2009. The status of these arrangements is unclear at this time. To see more of the Turks and Caicos Net News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tcinetnews.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Turks and Caicos Net News, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]