One month after launching Compass TV, operations manager Stephon Johnson was tasked with coordinating the production of one of the most intricate live telecasts ever in the Cayman Islands: television coverage of the 2025 elections and referendums.
Johnson had produced many television shows over the course of his career, but never anything with as many moving parts as this year’s election coverage.
Between the production crew, the on-air presenters, the graphics and statistics crew, the remote journalists and camera crews and the in-house journalists supporting the website and social media reporting, nearly 50 people were involved in bringing the election night coverage into the homes and yards of residents – and so many others watching from overseas.
The television coverage started the morning of Election Day and also included an update in the early afternoon, but the main live event began at 5pm and didn’t end until 10-and-a-half hours later at 3:30am.
“When it was over, I had a sense of accomplishment and pride,” said Johnson. “To be able to bring back this kind of election coverage for the public, it almost felt like we had represented Cayman in an athletic competition – and we won.”
For many in the community, viewing the election coverage was like watching a major sporting event. Chairs were set up at campaign headquarters across Grand Cayman, and on Cayman Brac as well, as people gathered to follow the election results live on television here for the first time since 2017.
With much at stake in this year’s election – which included referendums on three issues – thousands tuned in to Compass TV, as well as read the live blog on caymancompass.com. The website had more than 147,000 page views over the course of Election Day.
The studio coverage in front of the camera was led by Compass Media’s chief political correspondent Tammi Sulliman, who was joined by three political pundits – James E. Whittaker, Mario Ebanks and Chris Gourzong.
As Caymanians and residents followed the coverage from the comfort of their homes or at watch parties, Compass Media staff worked tirelessly through the early morning hours to gather interviews, videos and commentary across all 19 electoral districts, marking Cayman’s largest deployment of reporting resources to date.
In addition to the staff in the studio and newsroom, eight reporters with cameramen were roving through the electoral districts – including Cayman Brac – to interview the candidates as the results came in and winners were announced.
Viewers were able to follow live discussion by the panel of three analysts, alongside real-time polling results, all while witnessing the joys, disappointments and emotions of the nation play out live on screen.
It was a privilege to once again be part of a national election broadcast where, for the first time since 2017, our crews were able to cover every polling station across the country,” said Sulliman. “It was a monumental team effort – but we believe the people of the Cayman Islands deserve nothing less than this level of comprehensive coverage.”
The Election Day coverage underscored the significance of the return of local television and “the integral part Compass plays in the fabric of Cayman”, said Tripp Donnelly, publisher of Compass Media.
The television coverage was well received by the public and politicians alike. Among the many candidates interviewed on Election Day was the PPM’s Roy Tatum, who said on air, “I’m ecstatic beyond words to see we have a TV station again. It’s a huge thing for the country in many ways.”
The night brought out a spirit of camaraderie, with many across the country seen cheering, hugging, applauding, reacting and celebrating the election results – all documented by the dedicated Compass Media television and newsroom staff.