Media in St Vincent and Grenadines

The media system in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is established but structurally fragmented. Print and online news includes Searchlight, The Vincentian, The News, I-Witness News, St Vincent Times, One News and ANN SVG. People access these outlets through print editions, websites and social channels. Publisher subscriptions, advertising and individual provider models determine the costs. A separate national licensing system for print and online news is not documented in the available institutional framework. Broadcasting has a formal regulatory structure. The National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) handles technical, spectrum and licensing matters under the Telecommunications Act, with regional coordination through the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL). The NTRC register includes NBC Radio, We FM, Praise FM, Power FM, Nice Radio, Hot FM, Magic FM and Cross Country Radio, as well as community stations such as Mixx FM, Adoration FM and Garifuna Radio. NBC Radio is the statutory national broadcaster. SVG Broadcasting Corporation Ltd operates SVG TV and Magic FM. Subscriber television is available through Digicel SVG, Kelcom International and Cable & Wireless/Flow. Prices and coverage vary by provider, licence, island and service area, and no consolidated public tariff applies to all providers. Streaming has no verified national public platform or local Netflix equivalent. Available options include licensed subscriber television, broadcaster websites and live streams, broadcaster social channels and global streaming services delivered through mobile or broadband connections. Mobile penetration is about 94 percent and smartphone use about 82 percent, but around 90 percent of mobile customers use prepaid service and only about 66 percent have a regular data plan. These figures help explain why streaming is less central than radio and social access for many users. Social media is widely used by private users and institutions through services such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. People participate through comments, polls, live streams and broadcaster channels. The NTRC uses school visits, radio and television appearances, community sessions, online polls and live activities for public awareness. These channels also carry risks, including disinformation, cybercrime, hacking, online defamation and pressure that can encourage self-censorship. Journalism is plural but financially and institutionally vulnerable. Freedom House rated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Free in its 2025 assessment, with a score of 90 out of 100 and a media-independence indicator of 3 out of 4. Reports from the OAS Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression have raised concerns about political influence, editorial censorship, threats against journalists, financial pressure and media closures. Investigative reporting is carried out by local and regional outlets. A documented independent national press council or national journalists' association is not part of the established system. The Constitution protects freedom of opinion and the receipt and communication of ideas and information under section 10. Restrictions can concern public safety, public order, morality, health, reputation, privacy, court authority and technical regulation of telephony, wireless broadcasting and television. The Cybercrime Act 2016 covers computer offences, treats a child as a person under 18 and prohibits child sexual-abuse material. Online defamation provisions have been reported as a risk to open expression. The Copyright Act 2003 gives automatic protection without registration and covers economic rights, moral rights and broadcaster and neighbouring rights. Fair dealing can apply to research, private study, criticism, review and reporting current events. The Electronic Transactions Act 2015 requires unsolicited commercial electronic messages to provide an opt-out mechanism. Young people can access media and digital participation through schools, parents, caregivers, mobile services and broadband. The NTRC MyApp Summer Program is aimed at ages 13 to 18 and has included Union Island Secondary School, Mountain View Adventist Academy and St. Vincent Grammar School. Its activities include coding, robotics and app design, with the iCode784 competition providing another practical way to participate. Swipe Safe addresses digital safety for children aged 8 to 12, while Safe Her Online focuses on women and girls. No platform-specific statutory age rule was confirmed in the available national material. The Freedom of Information Act 2003 contains access provisions, but available reporting indicates that it is not in force. A current statutory information-request channel therefore cannot be assumed. Practical alternatives include the government Media Center, press releases, Gov.VC, the public broadcaster and direct requests to institutions. The Universal Service Fund supports connectivity initiatives. The 2026 DRIVE Project offers vulnerable households subsidized internet for about EC$20 per month, including a laptop and a professional-development course delivered through FLOW, with a stated duration of five years. Rural and Grenadines access still depends on coverage, devices and available data. Participation is partly formal and partly informal. Users can respond through provider complaints, radio call-ins, broadcaster social channels, NTRC consultations, NTRC polls and government media channels. For a telecommunications dispute, the user generally starts with the provider. The provider should issue a receipt within three business days and aims to resolve the matter within 30 days. If that fails, the user can apply to the NTRC, which seeks a best-effort resolution within up to 60 days and prefers mediation. Filing a complaint generally has no identified fee. The NTRC also provides an FM broadcaster complaint form.