Above: Marcel Mahabir in a photo from his Facebook page.

MARCEL MAHABIR PASSING OF AN INDIAN ICON
Written by Devant Maharaj and reproduced with permission.

It is with great sadness that I learned about the passing of my dear friend Marcel Mahabir, a pioneer in the media industry for decades making a significant impact on the culture and mosaic of Trinidad and Tobago that is undeniable.

My memories of Marcel began when he first came to me at the National Lotteries Control Board representing the interests of the newly launched FM 103 Trinidad and Tobago’s first all Indian formatted radio station.

The story of Marcel did not begin with 103 FM but much earlier. In the early days of radio in Trinidad and Tobago Marcel was at Radio Trinidad in the sales department where he was known as a master salesman. Marcel developed an unparalleled keen insight into the world of marketing in media take forced the leadership of every media house in Trinidad and Tobago to take notice.

At Express House’s 106 FM Marcel continued to excel in sales but it was clear that Marcel was always more than just sales. He understood media in particular radio. At 106 FM he first floated the idea of converting the frequency to an all Indian formatted radio station. The leadership of 106 found that such an idea was potentially divisive for the nation accusing Marcel of undermining the society with that revolutionary idea and adding it would never be financially viable.

Marcel so believed in the concept of an Indian formatted radio station that he and his soon-to-be wife Joy left 106 FM and joined with Dik Henderson and Winfield Aleong to form WABC FM 103. This has to be considered as benchmark in Trinidad and Tobago’s history as it impacts on the country was undeniable.

Marcel’s idea moved Indian programming from fifteen minutes a day on national radio to twenty-four hours a day. Almost overnight there was a resurgence and renaissance in Indian culture and local Indian cultural expressions well as Indians in the media industry.

The challenges that Marcel had to overcome in opening 103 FM have not been made public but they were significant, almost shutting down the station before it began. It included the challenge by the telecom authority that the radio license did not authorize the broadcast of content in Hindi only in English.

Armed only with his intimate knowledge of the media industry, it was Marcel alone in a room with the telecom authority attorneys and executives that firmly but respectfully showed them that no where in the license agreement stipulated the medium of broadcast. This was one of the many internal battles Marcel waged to ensure that 103FM was born.

When it was launched finally 103FM saw the expression of Chutney music with popular singers finding a new vocation as radio broadcasters such as Ravi and Nisha B. The stalwarts of Indian Music in Trinidad and Tobago the Mohammed family, Sadro, Aruna, Shamoon were embraced by 103 FM.

The expression of Hinduism and Islam found a new medium that was never allowed in the Port of Spain Christian centric media houses. The daily horoscope of Pundit Purnima, nightly Ramayans, the coverage of Divali Nagar, the Friday call to prayer, etc. all now found a home on 103 FM.

New pundits such as Abadiand Persad, Moonilal, and others all were discovered on 103FM. All thanks to the efforts of Marcel Mahabir.
Launched prior to the General Elections of 1995 it is undeniable that the introduction of 103FM that gave a voice to the previously voiceless Indian community, had a significant impact and influence in the electoral victory of the Basdeo Panday’s United National Congress. Yet Marcel never allowed 103 FM to become a political voice for any one party, it remained fiercely independent.

Within one year of operations 103FM had captured over 25% of the national media share disproving once and for all the importance of the Indian audience to the Port of Spain advertisers. Marcel with this one simple but difficult act had developed a niche market in the local media landscape and segmented the media market in a manner and way previously unheard of before 103FM.

Former critics of Marcel’s 103 FM soon became copycats as within a few years there were no less than eight Indian formatted radio stations though 103FM still remained the market leader as it is today.

The Indian film industry locally benefited tremendously from 103FM as the music of Bollywood now was to be heard twenty-four hours a day. Lata, Kishore, Rafi, Kumar Sanu, etc. all moved from cassettes and tapes or from Melodies of India to mainstream media showcasing  not only the songs, but the movies which gave rise to them.

It would not be a reach to say that the Indian television stations that followed in Trinidad and Tobago owe much to the pioneering work of Marcel Mahabir’s 103FM, the work of a Catholic born Indian man from Maraval who gave a voice to the predominately rural Hindu and Muslim in Trinidad and Tobago.

When Marcel finally left 103FM, he continued his pioneering work in media with the founding of Masala Radio 101.1FM which was a fusion of local Indian music and other contemporary musical expressions aimed at the youth market. In its brief existence, Masala 101 FM had an influence on the further development of local Indian culture in Trinidad and Tobago.

Following his departure from Masala 101 FM. Marcel became a consultant with Power 102 FM and there again, Marcel made his mark nationally with Sexplosion with Dr. Raj Ramnanan. Marcel and I conceptualized the program which openly and frankly discussed issues of sex for the first time on national media.

With the charismatic and extremely informed Dr. Raj Ramnanan, Sexploision was the most listened to radio talk show in Trinidad and Tobago for a number of years. A few other radio stations tried to copy this program but they all failed because there was never anyone like Marcel with them.

The Maha Sabha benefited from my friendship with Marcel. When I liaised with then Director of the National Aids Coordinating Council, Dr. Amery Browne, to have the Maha Sabha included as part of its national awareness campaign, it was Marcel who agreed to broadcast the nightly message from various parts of the country.

So too did the Maha Sabha’s efforts to fight back various attempts on conversions of Hindus get similar exposure on 103FM. The promotion and preservation of Hinduism no doubt benefited from Marcel Mahabir.

When I first conceptualized the idea of a Hindu-formatted radio station and sold the idea to the Secretary General of the Maha Sabha it was to my old friend Marcel Mahabir that I turned to for advice. It was Marcel who advised me on how to fill out the application form for the radio license and arranged for me to meet with the relevant persons at the telcom authority to discuss the application.

It was Marcel who guided me to develop the marketing component of the radio application. When we were finally awarded the radio license, it was to Marcel to whom I turned again to help with sourcing equipment and technical personnel.

Marcel introduced me to Steve Seedansingh, who provided the engineering support for Radio Jaagriti. It was Marcel who made the relevant introductions that allowed the rental space for the radio transmitter in Couva for Radio Jaagriti.

When the UNC came into office in 2010, I recommended to Cabinet that Marcel Mahabir be appointed to the State Media house, CNMG, as chairman of the board. The recommendation was accepted and he served with distinction.
Trinidad and Tobago and its media industry today is much poorer with the passing of Marcel Mahabir a giant of man. My deepest condolences go out to his wife Joy and children Perry, Bridgette and Monique.