TALK show host, Ricardo “Gladiator” Welch was put to the sword by the management of Power 102 over a move by him to take up an offer as a United National Congress (UNC) senator last Tuesday.

The Gladiator, who sought permission from the radio station to serve as a temporary senator, was told that he would not be able to continue his very popular “Power Breakfast” morning programme if he became Senator Welch.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had made an offer for Welch to take up the temporary post in the Senate during the absence of Ato Boldon, who will be in Germany for three weeks.

Reliable sources told TnT Mirror the management of Power 102 held a meeting on Monday night to discuss Welch’s proposal and later advised him about the company’s decision.

The station took the stance that as a talk show host, the Gladiator’s appeal was to a wide listening public and his senatoral position could be seen as a conflict of interest and one with an open UNC bias.

“His views and comments would appear to be politically slanted, because of his position as an Opposition Senator,” an official of the station said.

A source said Welch was interested in the offer since he wanted to show Prime Minister Patrick Manning, that the Opposition had put him in the Senate.

“He has always claimed that Manning had backed down on a promise, when the PNM was in opposition to give him a senatorial post when the party came into power,” one source said.

“But all he got from the People’s National Movement (PNM) was a chance to serve as a member of the Board of the Public Transport Service Corporation.”

Welch, who was once a strong supporter of the UNC, had appeared on the election platform with then UNC Political Leader Basdeo Panday some years ago.

Later, he “crossed the floor” and moved over to the PNM and always complained on his radio programme how he had “toiled in the vineyard” when the PNM was in Opposition and had ended up in the doghouse.

Up to this day, the Gladiator has been critical of Manning for paying him only half of the money he was promised for helping put the party on a strong footing to get back into power when the PNM was in Opposition.

RICARDO
“Gladiator”
WELCH ...
“so long as
the price is
right.”

JACK WARNER ... looking to get
radio hosts.

Opposition Leader
KAMLA PERSAD-
BISSESSAR

ANIL ROBERTS

After he took the decision to stay in radio, following the Power 102 ultimatum, the popular radio talk show host gave PNM supporters, who were slamming him for taking up the UNC offer, the impression that he was merely bowing to his supporters’ concerns.

“The Gladiator will take up any offer as long as the price is right,” a source close to him said.

Meanwhile, a PNM source said that the UNC faction, headed by Deputy Political Leader Jack Warner, is trying to “buy out” some of the popular talk show hosts on local radio by offering them positions in the party.

Among the names being mentioned are Sadro of Sangeet 106, Jairaj Singh of Radio Shakti and Anil Roberts of Power 102.

Opposition Leader Persad-Bissessar has come under fire from UNC officials, activists and supporters for offering a senatorial post to the Gladiator.

“We are baffled as to why Persad-Bissessar had to lure Welch, a supporter of the PNM to represent the UNC in the Senate,” one activist said.

“You mean there is no one in the UNC that she could have considered?” the activist asked.

UNC supporters are also asking: “Who is Wayne Anthony Munro, the UNC temporary senator who was sworn in on Tuesday?”

One UNC official said the only information they have about Munro is that he is an assistant lecturer in Economics under UNC Political Leader Winston Dookeran at the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Dookeran is a part-time economics lecturer at UWI.