Intellectual Property Rights to be secured by April 30th for NBC to remain on local cable TV line-ups
April 29th, 2026 | Related To: Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT)
The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (“the Authority”) reminds the public that the local subscription broadcasting providers are required to secure the intellectual property rights to broadcast the U.S. Free-to-Air stations in Trinidad and Tobago.
On 30th December 2025 FOX was removed from the line-up of cable subscription TV providers unless the obtained the requisite rights to broadcast the station. Cable TV providers that do not obtain the required rights for NBC by 30th April 2026 can no longer carry that station from their channel line-ups.
Why This Matters
Failure to comply with intellectual property rights obligations negatively impacts Trinidad and Tobago’s trade relations and global partnerships.
Impact on Viewers
The phased schedule to secure the rights for the channels is as follows:
- NBC– Rights must be obtained by 30thApril 2026
- ABC– Rights must be obtained by 31stAugust2026
- CBS– Rights must be obtained by 30thDecember 2026
Background
Since 2015, the Authority has been working with cable subscription TV providers and international stakeholders including the U.S. Free-to-Air stations to secure the broadcast rights for these stations. Despite extensive discussions, authorisation to broadcast these stations are not yet available. Accordingly, broadcasting these channels without obtaining the necessary authorisation violates intellectual property laws.
The Authority continues to work with the Intellectual Property Office of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and local subscription cable providers to ensure that the required Intellectual Property (IP) rights are content are secured for all channels carried in Trinidad and Tobago.
