She’s been a constant positive influence in our community in a myriad of ways, and she makes it look easy. She exudes class and her own unique style, while all the time seeming like the lady next door. She’s graced our airwaves for over three decades now, and plans to keep going for as long as she can. She is Beverly Hyman, host of the popular local TV show Prime Time with Beverly.
WEEKender visited with Beverly last week and talked about her memories of shows past, and dreams for future projects. She began with a TV show called “Profiles of the Windward Islands” which she put on with Franklin Brison and Dwight Barran on LBC TV. Then she had a show called “Women’s Magazine” for about four years. Since then, it’s been “Prime Time” which she produces as well as hosts. She and her crew are prolific, filming up to 50 new programs each year.
Career high points include interviews with global celebrities like singer Chaka Khan and comedian/actor Sinbad, as well as historic figures, such as the first African-American Senator in the U.S. Congress, Edward Brooke. She has interviewed local icons, including the great Claude Wathey, our present Governor Eugene Holiday and Dada Boolchand, founder of the Boolchand’s store as well as many others too numerous to mention. Beverly is always on the lookout for interesting personalities to profile, be they artists, sports heroes, entertainers or other high achievers in our community. Prime Time with Beverly is interested in presenting social issues, too. Hers was the first TV program to interview a local person suffering with AIDS. “Those were the early days for AIDS awareness, and we filmed him with his face concealed.”
Prime Time has even gone on location! They have taken the show on the road…and on the boat…bringing stories from Anguilla, Statia, Miami, and Sombrero Island. One show was filmed on a megayacht, and another was on an aircraft carrier! Beverly has covered all the big events on The Friendly Island: Carnival, Heineken Regatta, St. Maarten Day and all the holidays. During the aftermath of Hurricane Luis in 1995, the show had to shift to radio, but they kept the schedule in line and never missed a single show!
Beverly encourages young people to explore their interests fearlessly, and if they want to go into producing a TV show similar hers, to watch the news, study good interviews and read as much as they can. “But,” she advises, “it’s a lot of work; don’t think it’s as easy as it looks.”
Over the years, Beverly has seen many other TV shows come and go. In fact, hers is one of the longest running shows on local television. She credits her loyal crew and her long time sponsors for this longevity. “I’m a people person,” she says, “and I make a point to treat people fairly and honestly.” The crew includes her floor manager Lesley Veira, her director Davey Woods, her lighting/camera operator guy (Ray) Simmon and video editing by Ricardo William. The program’s sponsors include GEBE NV, Prime Distributors, Travel Planners, Windward Islands Bank, Nagico Insurances, Longchamp, PJIA Airport SXM, Port of St. Maarten, and The Daily Herald. Many of these sponsors have been with her for at least 25 years.
But the underlying secret to her long-lived success is the same as her motivation: excellence in all things. From the quality look of the show, the music fade-ins and the desire to keep current with what’s happening in the community, these all factor into what has made the show a staple of St. Maarten television. As host and producer, Beverly oversees the whole operation. With the help of her crew, she researches topics, books guests, writes questions and looks for sponsors. No small task, especially considering that she is also a fulltime teacher at St. Dominic Primary School. “I keep my two roles very separate, and I plan the show’s activities around the school’s schedule. My crew understands this and we make it work.”
How does she manage to juggle so many tricky duties? A sense of balance helps. It’s not all work for Beverly. She finds time for leisure and keeps true to her friendships. On weekends, she finds time for friends and family. Her faith and belief in God are a grounding factor in her life. She likes to walk as a form of exercise, and to have some time for reflection. She loves to cook, with her specialty being Curried Chicken. Traveling is also a passion and she does it as often as possible.
What’s the downside of having a successful TV show for 30 years? “When I look back at those old shows, I’m appalled at those old hairstyles!” In fact, Beverly admits she doesn’t like to watch her shows at all, because she tends to be too critical. “Most TV hosts are like that, they don’t like to watch their own shows. I’ve read it’s a common thing.”
Prime Time with Beverly can be viewed on SXM-TV channel 15 at 7:30pm on Sundays; and on Wednesdays at 8:00pm. Also, MSR channel 9 at 8:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And new this month – all episodes of Prime Time with Beverly can be seen on demand via the internet on Youtube.com.
Beverly looks forward to many more years of informative and entertaining shows on Prime Time!
