-‘Basil B’ reflects on his 48-year career in radio and television

By Faith Greene

THERE are only a handful of veteran Guyanese broadcasters around and among the big names is Basil Bradshaw, popularly known as ‘Basil B.’

He is probably Guyana’s most well-known and seasoned voice on television.

This week, the Buzz had a chance to speak with the man who has given 48 years of his life to local television and radio. He used the opportunity to reflect on his early years and his career.

Many know him for his hit television talk show, ‘Wake up Guyana,’ but Basil’s journey in broadcasting began over four decades ago in radio.

Before entering broadcasting, Basil had made a name for himself in athletics. Being the only junior athlete to win the senior championship in those days, was among his accomplishments.

He was the junior sprint champion and the senior sprint champion. His success on the local track, ensured that he went on to represent Guyana on the international stage.

“In primary school, I was the head of the Young Brigade, which is the Militant Leader. And then when I went into high school, I was the Cadet Leader in the National Service,” he related.

He said that the discipline aspect of the National Service is what helped mould him into the man he is today.

As he reflected on the earlier part of his life, Basil said that he thought he was destined for a career in the military after he had completed his secondary education.

However, a different path was chosen for him.

“I saw myself as an army officer. I wanted to go join the Officer Cadet course. You start as a second lieutenant and then you move up the ladder,” he said.

In 1981, young Basil began his broadcast journey at the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) which is now the National Communications Network (NCN).

He recalled that at that time, he was the youngest member of the broadcasting team and was very fortunate to be there with “the big ones in radio”. He explained that the “big ones” were those who were well-known and had a good connection with their audience.

In recalling how he landed the job at GBC, he said: “It was a former headteacher of mine…I must mention the name, the late Marjorie Cambridge-Carr, she was the Senior Mistress at Bladen Hall Multilateral at that time. [She] had said that she believed that I should pursue a career in broadcasting.”

His former teacher told him at a later date that she felt that he was confident, assertive, and that he had a good command of the English language.

Basil said that his former teacher made an arrangement with her cousin who was in radio, for him to have a stint in the field.

“I remember when I first went there, the people you met were people who were willing to more or less accept any newcomer on board to help to make the corporation a better place,” he added.

A NEW ADVENTURE

Although his time in radio was a fruitful one, Basil after 14 years, decided to try television.

He started his show, ‘Wake up Guyana,’ in the mid-90s.

His target audience was housewives across Guyana. The programme, which is now in its 28th year is the oldest talk show in Guyana, and the longest running on HBTV Channel Nine.

According to him, ‘Wake up Guyana’ was meant to be a way of informing the viewership about current affairs, challenges and developments in communities, and entertainment news. Viewers were also given the opportunity to air their concerns and make contributions on the show.

“Originally, it targetted the housewives because they would have time to watch the show while their husbands are out working, and to see what products I may have advertising so they can tell their husbands what to get and where to get it,” he said.

However, in recent times, the viewership expanded to include other categories of persons who would tune in once they were home or had access to a television.

And to cater for this, there was a shift in the timing. It moved from 07:15 hours to 08:00 hours to 09:00 hours.

“After some consultation with the target audience, we found that 9 o’clock would be the best time because housewives would have finished taking care of the children to send them to school, finishing up their house work and so on,” he stated.

CAREER ADVICE

With a career as comprehensive as his, he was asked to share some valuable tips for Guyana’s future broadcasters.

In response, he said: “They should not ever allow negativity to deter them from their objectives.”

Basil added that these persons should always remember that they will be broadcasting to persons who will interpret what they say and how they say it in a number of ways.

He also advised that they not allow their heads to be swollen by the compliments they get.

Moreover, the veteran broadcaster said he would like to see broadcasting return to the glory days where persons in other countries saw Guyana as the place to emulate and learn.

“And not only in broadcasting. Guyana is opening up now because of the oil and gas fortune. So, people are going to come, people are going to be interested in learning our culture…and we all should be allowed to showcase what we are good at in every aspect of it and I hope that that is going to happen so that when foreigners come to our country, there is a lot to learn.”