February, 2025 - Channel 5 Belize

How Cable TV Has Shaped Belizean Culture

Cable TV has had a huge impact on Belizean culture. From the early days of North American shows and ads shaping our choices, to today’s diverse programming, thanks to tech advancements. But it wasn’t always this way. In tonight’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Paul Lopez explores how TV has influenced Belizean culture and the growing demand for more local content. Here’s the report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Have you ever thought about how much cable TV, and before that, on-air TV, have shaped Belizean culture? Just four decades ago, TV was a brand-new phenomenon in Belize.

Kathleen Flowers, Belize City Resident

“That would be in the big back version, around 1981to the later part of 1981. Because I remember going to high school and we already had black and white TV. But we never had cable as such. We had to stick up the antenna of the TV and put foil paper round it.”

Kathleen Flowers shared her memories of the early days of cable TV in Belize. Before cable, there were just two channels: Channel 9 and Tropical Vision. Channel 9 brought WGNTV, a Chicago station, right into Belizean homes.

Kathleen Flowers

“For us it was Channel 9. Everybody only spoke Channel 9 in the city, because there was not many options and Channel 9 was straight out of Chicago, Illinois, straight die-hard Cubs, anything Chicago, Wrigley Field, the little Bozo show was what children grew up in the 1980 and early nineties. I could remember one Andy Griffith, and another comedy one was the old man, what is his name? The one my father use to enjoy watching. He use to have a little toe dance and would always have heart attacks. Sanford and Sons.”

Chicago-based entertainment, especially sports, became so popular in Belize through WGN that Cubs star Gary Mathews visited in 1985. He was greeted with a parade and celebrations fitting for a king. Evan Tench, President of the Belize Cable Television Operators Association, fondly remembers those days and reflects on how the industry has evolved.

Evan Tench, President, BCTVOA

“So you had individuals, entrepreneurs started to run cables over the telephone lines, electric lines to people homes. So, you have the signals picked up by satellite and then you would create a multi-head channel and push that to your home through your cable.”

Paul Lopez

How was this a game changer?

Evan Tench

“Well, it was a game changer, because more channels came into play. You were getting first a few dozen and then it increased to where we are now with a couple hundred channels.”

Belize City led the way in this TV evolution. As the country’s population hub, the demand for more channels was high, sparking competition among providers. More cable connections meant TV’s influence in Belize expanded beyond just WGN.

Evan Tench

“The thing is it was easier for us to pick up, because the Americans were launching hundreds of satellites for their customer base, but these signals were reaching us. It was easier for us to put up these big mesh dishes, ten feet, twelve, feet, twenty feet, and we could pick up the signal here to send to the customers.”

Kathleen Flowers

“Back then it was, you can’t get home fast enough to watch the soap operas. Those were the things we use to watch and they affected our homes and many of pots didn’t cook early enough because of soap operas. The mothers were home watching those and they either cook early or hurry finish up before the childe come home. I would watch days of our lives and I know my mother had about four or five of them and the thing is when they done watch she would get on the verandah and she and the neighbor would discuss and anticipate what the next episode will be like.”

In just four decades, technology has leaped forward. Industry leaders have shifted from cable to fiber-to-home transmission. As costs have risen, tech advancements have driven companies to create mobile apps and streaming platforms. While there’s still a craving for North American content, there’s a growing demand for programming that reflects Belizean identity, from sports broadcasts to local shows.

Evan Tench

“Because of the advent of technology there is fast internet and better satellite technology we can get more content from the Caribbean. This has made the product that we are offering much more diverse, cultural, local, regional, that we can offer to the consumer that when the satellite was only picking up spill over content from the U.S.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Meet the Candidates for the Corozal District

The political scene is heating up now that the Prime Minister has officially set March 12th as the date for the general election. Over the weekend, we followed all eight candidates as they campaigned in their constituencies. This weekend, News Five took its cameras to the Corozal District to catch up with all eight candidates running there. They shared their plans and the feedback they’re getting from voters on the campaign trail. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali with the report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

We caught up with the UDP’s candidate for Corozal Southeast, Antonio “Tony” Herrera, in Sarteneja Village, one of the northernmost communities in Belize. If elected, Tony plans to leverage the recent infrastructure improvements and the village’s charm to boost tourism and create jobs. He also aims to tackle the high cost of fuel and living.

Tony Herrera, U.D.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southeast

“We, as a government in waiting, our purpose is to try and bring down the cost of fuel because that’s where we had it before, and also we will try our best to lower the cost of living. We will encourage tourism – eco-tourism, flyfishing, stuff like that in the area of Sarteneja. Look at Sarteneja, the beautiful sea it has. We can exploit that. That will increase the betterment of the livelihood of this area. Look at Chunox. It has a beautiful lagoon; Progresso Lagoon, Copperbank Lagoon. So all this area will be accessible by you and I, not only by tourists.”

Herrera is also advocating for improved policing in the area. His political rival in Corozal Southeast, the incumbent Florencio Marin Junior, emphasizes that he doesn’t take his constituents for granted. For Marin, infrastructure and education are top priorities as he heads into this election.

Florencio Marin, P.U.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southeast

“I now need to focus on expanding on lights in the streets. I now need to focus on expanding the school here. We’re going to complete the Caledonia – Buena Vista Road. We’re working on that right now. We’re going to complete from Progresso to San Estevan. We’re also going to connect Progresso to the Sarteneja Road. We’re also going to connect Chunox to the Sarteneja Road and Chunox to the Progresso – San Estevan Junction, so that we can be able to get the whole area paved as much as possible. We also need to support the growing community in Cerro Sands, so we have already started paving some parts towards the Cerros Maya ruins.”

In May 2022, Martin Rivera was selected as the U.D.P. candidate for Corozal Southwest. He believes that voters’ frustration with the government’s handling of inflation in Belize will lead to a shift at the polls.

Martin Rivera, U.D.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southwest

“The prices of all goods, of merchandise, of textiles, of technology, everything has gone so high, especially the cost of living, the food, the basic food has been so expensive. And I do believe that they are going to look out, they’re going to target, they’re going to penalize this system, this government that has been jeopardizing every citizen’s growth.”

Ramiro Ramirez is running for the P.U.P again in Corozal Southwest. His campaign began the moment he won the last election, and his work in the community show his dedication. Every Sunday, you can find him leading a garbage collection drive.

Ramiro Ramirez, P.U.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southwest

“We bought a truck. And that truck is giving service to my community. Now it’s easier and faster. We don’t have to wake up 5 o’clock in the morning. Now it’s 7 o’clock, by 10, 11, we’re done. Before, sometimes, it was all day with the trucks. So, I think that’s a plus for all of us and there’s no charge. Nobody charge to pick up garbage. On the left you can see a complex, and it’s not the only one that we have here. We have one in Libertad, we have one in Louisville, we have another one in St. Victor and, we have another one that is going to start soon, soon after election. What I want for San Francisco. We need a police station, and we need the market, and we need a school.”

The U.D.P. has been rocked by a fierce leadership battle, but Martin Rivera and Tony Herrera are confident it won’t hurt their chances at the polls.

Martin Rivera

“Shyne and Miss Tracy Panton – they are keeping democracy alive. One of the things that I don’t like is that they have gone to the extreme, but democracy in our U.D.P. is alive. Most of the U.D.P. supporters in the Corozal Southwest have pledged to me that they will work with whosoever is the leader and I am one hundred percent willing to work with anybody who becomes the leader.”

Tony Herrera

“The Honorable Shyne, the Honorable Tracy will not campaign for me, I have to do that myself. For me, politics is local. I have nothing to do in that fight and my people understand that. That it’s what I bring to the table, what I can do for them.”

This Wednesday, we’ll introduce you to the other PUP and UDP candidates running in the four remaining constituencies in the Corozal District. Marion Ali for News 5

Taegar-Panton Says Shyne Needs to Go in Mesop

Today, Tracy Taegar-Panton told News Five that all her candidates have been duly elected or endorsed in a U.D.P. convention, except for businessman Lee Mark Chang. She explained why she chose Chang to run against Barrow in the Mesopotamia Division. According to Taegar-Panton, U.D.P. supporters in the area have expressed the need for a strong standard bearer.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“There are 31 candidates for the United Democratic Party. Some of those candidates support Tracy’s Panton’s leadership, and some of them prefer to remain with the status quo because the institution and the color red they believe is going to be a determining factor in the next election. That’s their prerogative. We are not foisting any candidates in any of the constituencies with the exception of Mesop and we feel very strongly that it has become necessary for us to field a candidate in MESOP because one, Shyne is the problem and two, the delegates, the executive committee in Mesop came to us and says the situation with our current standard bearer is untenable and we need a new standard bearer.”

Barrow Says His Candidates Went Through Proper Selection Process

Barrow told us the U.D.P. has thirty-one candidates ready to run in various constituencies. When asked if the U.D.P. leadership can select standard bearers without an endorsement or election convention, he explained that the proper procedure was followed to replace Taegar-Panton and others who violated the U.D.P. Constitution, making them non-members.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“The process is where there’s a vacancy, then you have an endorsement convention. So we follow the procedures as required by the U.D.P. Constitution. All of those people that abandoned the U.D.P. Constitution, they forfeited their positions in the party, so they created the vacancies and we filled them by giving notification, going through the vetting process, going to the nominations chair, to the zone coordinators, regional leaders, different members of the central – pertinent members of the central executive, and then followed suit as to the procedure.”

Jose Uc Espat Says Running for U.D.P. Is Not Backpedaling

A few years back, Jose Uc Espat started a third party because he was tired of the two-party system running the country. Now, he’s running for the U.D.P in the Albert constituency. We asked him if joining the same two-party system, he once criticized is backpedaling. He explained why this move is different from what it seems.

Jose Uc Espat, U.D.P Standard Bearer, Albert

“I did not backpedal. Today, and I spoke with openly because he’s a straightforward person. I’ve got respect for him as a person and as what he’s trying to do. Many people are hating him for the same reasons I was hated for a long time and still am today, because we stand firm, we are not a pushover, and we stand for what we believe in. To your question: if I knew today that the Belizean public would accept the ideology of a brand new fresh full 31 viable candidates in a third party, I would have, and I spoke about this with Mr. Barrow, this was my objective for either this election or the coming elections – to form a party of 31 viable qualified and candidates with a history of integrity, honesty, to bring and offer this to the country.”

Taegar-Panton Says Her Team Will Use the Colour Red

Another hot topic right now is the use of the color red for the U.D.P. While Taegar-Panton and Barrow claim there are thirty-one candidates for the U.D.P., Barrow insists that Taegar-Panton and the group that violated the U.D.P. Constitution are no longer part of the party and shouldn’t use the color red for their campaign or on election day. However, Taegar-Panton strongly disagrees with this view.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert

“No, we’re using red. We are members of the United Democratic Party. I’m a duly elected member of this party. I sit as a U.D.P. representative in the National Assembly until it was dissolved this morning for two terms. I have not been constructively resigned. I have not been expelled. I have not been “relieved” of my membership of the United Democratic Party. I do not accept that. That was unconstitutional and illegally done unilaterally done by one individual. And that is not what the constitution of the party says we treat with persons who need to be purportedly expelled from the United Democratic Party. I am a member of the United Democratic Party and Shyne Barrow or his attorney cannot declare me not a member of the United Democratic Party. We have requested to run on a red banner and our information is that the Election on Boundaries provided two proposals and we voted on one. The one we voted for was for two of us to get the red.”

“Shyne” Barrow Says Only Candidates Under His Leadership Will Use Red

Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow firmly asserts that he is the legitimate leader of the U.D.P. and insists there can’t be two groups using the same color. He has written to the Elections and Boundaries Commission about this issue, stating that Taegar-Panton and her group will need to choose a different color for their campaign on election day.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“The Elections and Boundaries will not assign red to any other political organization but the U.D.P. and you cannot have two U.D.P.’s and I am the leader of the one only U.D.P., United Democratic Party and you will see in short order, when nominations come. The Constitution of the country says that the Elections and Boundaries has to consult with the political organizations and you cannot have two leaders of a political organizations. You can’t have two central executives. It doesn’t exist.”

Belizeans React to March 12 General Election Announcement

Belize’s general elections are set for March twelfth, 2025, and a recent online poll shows voters have mixed feelings about the timing. The poll asked Belizeans if they thought the election date was a good idea. Most respondents, one thousand, two hundred and two people, said they were ready to vote. Another one hundred and six agreed the timing was right, while three hundred and seventy-two felt it was politically motivated. Seventy-four voters thought more notice should have been given, and one hundred and twenty were undecided. Public comments reflected these mixed feelings. One disillusioned voter said, “I care less. I will still struggle under any of the parties. Let them be happy and continue enriching themselves.” On the other hand, a more enthusiastic supporter declared, “I am excited. I am ready for the P.U.P. Why vote for a party that can’t even decide who their leader is?” The announcement has officially kicked off the campaign season, with political parties rallying their supporters and strategizing for the election. Here at News Five, we’ve started our coverage of the 2025 campaign trail! We’ll be visiting all six districts and interviewing candidates from all thirty-one constituencies. Our station is set to deliver comprehensive, in-depth, and engaging coverage before, during, and after the polls. With the theme “Decision 2025: Show Out or Blowout,” our election programming will provide exclusive insights, expert analysis, and voter perspectives as the nation prepares to decide its future.

Are Belizeans Ready for the 2025 Elections?

After months of speculation, Prime Minister John Briceño finally made the big announcement that Belizeans have been eagerly awaiting: the 2025 elections will be held on March twelfth. With just one month to prepare, we hit the streets of Dangriga in the Stann Creek District to capture the buzz and hear how people are feeling as the big day approaches.

Ramirez Caterino, Dangriga Resident

“I figure we ready because weh really happen that you have people weh different choices of doing things. And some ready like mek we continue, And some might noh ready because certain things might affect ney before. So they might have a little staggering in between.”

Britney Gordon

“Do you exercise your right to vote every election time?”

Ramirez Caterino

“Yes.”

Britney Gordon

“Why do you think it’s important to do so?”

Ramirez Caterino

“I think the important part that you really vote fi ah candidate that you figure more or less can help the area.”

Selvin Gomez, Dangriga Resident

“If we people are ready then we might be there but I don’t see that the money di spend. I think by now Belize supposed to be inna wa betta position, you know? I hear bout wa two hundred and fifty million dollars and up to now like we no di feel the effects ah dat money and I think da bout time now, Belizeans brighten up. Mek we spend some money and mek the people dem feel like we da Belizeans. Da time.”

Delone Palacio, Dangriga Resident

“Yes I am ready I think it’s time because we need a new leader. We need new leadership.”

Britney Gordon

“What are you hoping will be the outcome of this next election?”

Delone Palacio

“I hope UDP will win.”

Britney Gordon

“Why are you hoping for that change? What would you like to see change in your community?”

Delone Palacio

“Well I woulda like see wah lotta changes like after the election. Wa lotta changes. Like lotta crime di happen and so so I wish the crime woulda go down and so.”

Britney Gordon

“Why do you think it’s important to vote?”

Dangriga Resident

“At least you have an option. And it’s important to have an option.” 0:44

Britney Gordon

“Are you ready for the 2025 election?”

Delbert Alvarez, Dangriga Alvarez

“Yes ma’am. I ready because I tiyad ah punish.”

Britney Gordon

“What are you hoping to see change in your life after the election?”

Delbert Alvarez

“We want see ney share with the poor to. Share thing with poor mek we eat a lee breadcrumbs. Right now, we not even di eat lee breadcrumbs.”

Britney Gordon

“Do you vote every election?”

Delone Palacio

“Yes ma’am.”

Britney Gordon

“So you exercise your right to vote.”

Delone Palacio

“Yes I exercise my right at all times.”

Britney Gordon

“Why do you think it’s so important to do that?”

Delone Palacio

“Once you don’t exercise your right you don’t have any say as a Belizean in how the country is run. So I believe you should exercise your right.”

Wayne Golanche

“It very hard right now and thing but I think some people ready. On a whole some people ready and some people noh ready. Because some people still noh di win. Ney seh all ah we fi win but all ah we noh di win.”

Britney Gordon

‘Why do you hesitate to vote sometimes?”

Wayne Galanche

“Well I noh vote none at all because at the end of the day, ney noh support me. Pan the end of the day. I noh know weh fi do. if I fi vote PUP or UDP.”

For more visit:

How Prepared is Shyne’s U.D.P. for General Elections?

Tracy Panton: ‘Shyne Barrow Has No Interest in Mediation’

March 12 of this year is officially the day Belizeans will be marching to the polls and casting their votes, and despite the ongoing legal battle within the United Democratic Party (UDP), Tracy Panton stated today that her faction is “absolutely prepared” for the upcoming elections.

Panton said that the recent “demonstration of the teachers, the sickout by the firefighters, the concerns of the Belize Defence Force, the undercurrence in the public service, and the concerns expressed by our healthcare providers is indicative” of the need for “new leaders to take up the governance of this country,” she said.

While she expressed readiness for Decision 2025, the UDP is yet to come to a common table and come through with mediation. She claimed that Mesopotamia’s area representative, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, is the reason behind the delay in the mediation process. She said, “Shyne Barrow has no interest in sitting and talking, has no interest in finding a solution for the United Democratic Party, and he certainly doesn’t have any interest in us to make our strongest case for the Belizean people to become the next government.” Panton added, “If we are in limbo, it is because he is adamant and he refuses to respect the voices of the people.”

In about 30 days from today, the ballots will be in the hands of many Belizeans, and reports made by Hot Off the Press suggested that the Election and Boundaries Commission had recognised two factions of the UDP and would allow both to use the traditional red party colour on official ballots.

Panton stated that the 31 candidates under the UDP flag include candidates that support her leadership and those that support that of the “status quo because the institution and the colour red, they believe, are going to be a determining factor in the next election—that is their prerogative,” she said.

Barrow and his legal team did not hold back and formally requested clarification from the Election and Boundaries Commission (EBC) regarding recent reports about ballot designations for the 2025 general elections in a letter issued on February 10. The letter, sent by attorney Christopher P. Malcolm, challenges the claims that the EBC would allow two factions of the UDP to use the party’s red colour on ballots. Malcolm warned that any such decision would overstep the EBC’s authority and urged a swift public clarification to prevent misleading the public and damaging the electoral process.

With a date now set for Election Day, will the UDP come forward in mediation? Panton stands in that “the people in the United Democratic Party can be assured that our action that we in good conscience and good faith have done everything we humanly can to find a solution. Shyne has expressed zero interest in that matter. In fact, he has used the narrative to suggest that we are weak because we want to sit at the table.” She added, “I am a member of the United Democratic Party, and Shyne Barrow or his attorney cannot declare me not a member.”