How the Our TV team continues to raise the standard for Bahamian broadcasting at home and on the world stage.
Some professional milestones carry even greater significance when the people and effort behind them are understood.
The Our TV production team recently became the first local team selected to produce and broadcast the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 Qualifiers in The Bahamas. The achievement also marked the first time the tournament was broadcast on local television.
Delivering a production of this scale requires long hours, technical precision, last-minute adjustments and the ability to perform under the pressure of live television, where there are no second takes.
Although Our TV operates with a relatively small team, it continues to demonstrate that size does not determine capability. Time and again, the team has delivered productions that rival larger operations and challenge expectations of what can be accomplished within the Bahamian broadcasting industry.
The FIBA production extended well beyond a local basketball broadcast. The team produced coverage for Our TV, Our News and RUSH Sports, while also serving audiences across the Caribbean and facilitating the broadcast’s international distribution.
For Director of Digital and Emerging Products Ghaly Swann II, the production provided an important opportunity to connect Bahamians with their national team and the athletes representing the country internationally.
“Being able to connect Bahamians to their national team is absolutely amazing,” Swann said.
With several of the country’s leading professional players competing, the broadcast enabled Bahamian fans to experience the qualifiers from home and see their national team represented on local television.
TV Operations Manager Nathaniel Conliffe also recognized the significance of the milestone.
“This is the first time that a Bahamian company has covered something like this on this level,” Conliffe said.
A production of this magnitude requires much more than cameras and equipment. It demands preparation, leadership, sound judgment and a team capable of responding quickly when plans change.
The FIBA broadcast adds to a growing list of major productions delivered by the Our TV team. In 2022, the network provided coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, followed by the coronation of King Charles III in 2023. The team also continues to produce coverage of the CARIFTA Games, another demanding regional event requiring hours of live television and constant coordination.
While each event presents different challenges, the pressures of live broadcasting remain consistent. Signals must reach their destinations, while cameras, audio, graphics and communications must operate in harmony. Decisions must be made within seconds, and technical issues must be resolved without disrupting the viewer’s experience.
When the final production appears seamless to audiences at home, it is often the clearest indication that the team behind it has performed exceptionally well.
Strong leadership remains central to that success.
Swann, alongside Executive Producer Jerome Sawyer, continues to expand what Our TV and Our News can deliver across television and digital platforms. Conliffe provides the technical and operational leadership necessary to transform ambitious plans into successful broadcasts.
Although their responsibilities differ, each role is essential. Together with the wider production and editorial teams, they embody the professionalism, skill and agility that have kept Our TV at the forefront of the local broadcasting industry.
The FIBA milestone demonstrates how far the network has come and points to its capacity for even greater achievements. From royal history and regional athletics to international basketball, the Our TV team continues to showcase Bahamian broadcasting talent at home and on the world stage.
The little team that could has made history once again.