The VI Standpoint, located in Fish Bay, has announced that it will temporarily cease publishing at the end of April 2013. Photo: VINO

Managing Director of VI Standpoint, Mr Elton Callwood said it was a sad time for him and staff at VI Standpoint and that he could not give a time frame as to when the newspaper will be back in operation. He also noted that the online version of the VI Standpoint will also be put out of operation temporarily. Photo: Facebook

“It is with deep regret that we announce that the VI Standpoint will temporarily cease publishing at the end of April 2013. After careful consideration, we recognise that we cannot continue to operate in an environment where we are forced to absorb the economic challenges being experienced by our clients and advertisers,” a VI Standpoint press release issued today April 3, 2013 stated.

It noted that following the April 25, 2013 edition, the VI Standpoint will not be available on newsstands. “This temporary measure will facilitate restructuring of the company as it examines the way forward in these harsh economic times. While the newspaper will not be published during this time, the company will continue to operate and clients with outstanding balances will be contacted to settle their accounts,” the press release stated.

Contacted, Mr Callwood said it was a sad time for him and staff at VI Standpoint and that he could not give a time frame as to when the newspaper will be back in operation. He also noted that the online version of the VI Standpoint will also be put out of operation temporarily.

“I did not set a date on that. You see when you are closing a business you got so much things to do…so I really can’t say when that will happen….The employees that I have, I have informed them yesterday. They were the first persons that I informed…It is a sad time. They are in a position of reshuffling themselves and making a way forward for them just as I am about to move forward for myself.”

Mr Callwood was adamant that he intended to bring back the newspaper business into operation at some point, just that he hasn’t set a date on it.

He noted that other businesses similar to his are also facing similar challenges to stay open and blamed the “culture of doing business in the Virgin Islands” as the main struggle. He added that there are ads being done but payments are often not in a timely manner. “You can’t run your business like a bank, it’s a small business…and if you continue to run like a bank you continue to sink in quicksand…so instead I have decided to stop, look at it, restructure, regroup and come back on a different platform.”

Mr Callwood, who ran unsuccessfully as an At Large Candidate with the People’s Patriotic Alliance (PPA) in the November 2011 General Elections of the Virgin Islands, said it was a very tough decision for him to make but he was left with no choice but to discontinue with publication until further notice. “When people see you come to these decision they think it is something easy. It’s not an easy decision…In any business there is a front analysis: Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Trends but the things that affect you the most is the external trends, the ones you have no control over. You can be as reasonable with your writing, you can do as much as you want with your advertising packages and so on but when the external trends are stacked against you, you got to make some decisions.”

The Managing Director used the opportunity to also express appreciation to his faithful advertisers and readers for their support. “I really want to continue to thank them for their unwavering support over the years.”

The VI Standpoint has more than 13 years in the newspaper industry. It is the successor to the BVI PennySaver, which was a weekly publication that was founded in October 1997. In February 2001, the name was changed to The BVI StandPoint.