Both Sides Of Derrick Family Agreed To Observer Decision Says COO

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Old Logo for Observer Publications still being used (FILE PHOTO)

The decision to end the operations of Observer Media Group as we know it was a unified one, Chief Operation Officer Darren Derrick has said.

He told ANR in an email that the plan for The Daily Observer and Observer Radio is the result of a unified “and agreed approach by the shareholders (i.e. The Estates of Samuel “Fergie” Derrick and Winston Derrick). “

The rivals sides of the family “jointly executed a selfless plan to ensure the companies’ survival.”

They were in litigation for years over who should have the majority shares in the company following the death of co-founder Winston.

Derrick is also denying statements made by prime minister Gaston Browne regarding the true owners of a planned entity to replace Observer.

“The members of the families of the late Samuel Derrick and Winston Derrick are not, to the best of my knowledge, involved in the new media entity,” he wrote via an email.

“I can speak with certainty that the immediate family members of Samuel “Fergie” Derrick, have no interest or affiliation with any media company in Antigua and Barbuda nor do they have any intentions of getting involved in the media industry; this extends to the current management team at Observer who have indicated their desire to pursue other areas of interest outside of media,” he said.

Over the weekend, Browne questioned whether two employees would simply be front men for the new entity.

“So, the question is where did they get this money. Are they fronting for someone? And if they are fronting the question is who will be so stupid to be spending one point something million dollars in an entity that it literally bankrupt,” Browne asked on Pointe FM.

Darren Derrick

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10 COMMENTS

  1. Time to move on from the bitter and acrimonious atmosphere created by this family dispute. Surely all of these otherwise intelligent and talented people can put all of this behind them and be grateful the battling is at an end.
    The legacy of Fergie and Winston should be honored and the new owners should be applauded for picking up the torch for Democracy, Good Government and Free Speech. Without this new endeavor A&B will be in a sad state indeed.

  2. Y is this news it cant lock down ….we not going back to the dark days when we only had 2 radio stations doing the government deals….#freemedia ……..Gaston the place in jolly harbour please send the ondcp to investigate u

  3. Gaston need to mind his own business & leave other people’s business alone. He needs to pay workers their back pay & pensioners & other workers who line up each & every day at the treasury to get whats rightly there’s.

  4. HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY

    The difficulties with these ‘…inquisitive and/or suggestive comments,’ are that they could lead, and often leave the citizenry in a speculatory mode as to ‘…access to capitalization of an entity.’

    They may also be seen a inconsistent with ‘…electoral promises of opportunities and empowerment of people’

    When people of ‘…no visible means or known for affluence,’ venture out into certain business enterprises, and questions are raised by public officials, this could lead State’s agencies, such as the ‘…Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP)’ to unfairly focus attention on those so venturing.

    From professional perspective, this agency looks specifically for (i) …Source of funds; (ii) …legitimacy of source and funds; (iii) …Proceeds of crime; and (iv) …Money Laundering.’

    Comments such as these often show that they are not in harmony with the founding constitutional principle that speaks to ‘…Happiness and Prosperity.’

    This principle states that the people of Antigua and Barbuda assert their conviction that their happiness and prosperity can best be pursue in in a democratic society’ [CO: 1981: C].

    The last thing any Prime Minister would wish to do, is to be an obstacle not only in the way of ‘…Happiness and Prosperity,’ but also in the way of citizens’ progress and empowerment.’

    Simply looking at the harsh realities of life.

    Still don’t shoot. Not a messenger.

  5. The Observer Media Group is really not any kind of group at all, it’s just like some kind of community newsletter or blog. I would not classify it as a media organization.

    The reality is that Antigua is too small of a country for too many media outlets. Let’s remember folks, we are only 95,000 people in this country, smaller than most cities in the USA.

    This drama at Observer is getting old already, yawnnnnn, zzzzzz.

  6. Where is the transparency Observer claims to have. They not declaring bankruptcy. They just taking their marbles and going to play somewhere else and leave the Antigua people with the sour grapes. And we should sit down and say nothing bad about it. I’m telling the workers and APUA and other creditors. put a lien on all of the Assets of the company. And ask the court to place a lien on the directors assets as well. They still cannot produce audited financial statements. That tells you a lot of how they run the business. Management must have milk it dry with their lavish lifestyle.

    • How sad is it that we have a PM and people like you who appear to be incapable of feeling anything other than ill-will towards genuine citizens who, whether you like them or not, have made huge contributions to Antigua maintaining democracy and freedom of speech; not least of all is the Observer media group exposing the ongoing corruption/creative enrichment which has to be by far the biggest destruction force that is driving this island into bankruptcy and squalid disrepair. In order to be credible on such statements as “audited accounts” and accusing people of “lavish lifestyles” and I doubt very much that you are their accountant or personal butler you need to declare documented proof before making accusatory statements about other people. Personally I am very grateful for Observer giving me and many others a voice and wish the new Observer much success in the future.

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