Virmala Balkaran – TTT's new morning show host

At 6 am, when many people are still shaking off sleep, Virmala Balkaran will be settling into the chair of TTT’s new morning programme, Trinidad and Tobago Today.

From January 12, the 34-year-old broadcaster from Chaguanas will become the face of the programme, which will air immediately after the 6 am news and run until 8 am, carrying the 7 am and 8 am newscasts. It’s a role that puts her at the intersection of information, conversation and connection – a space she says feels less like a career choice than a calling.

She explained the show is designed to meet viewers where they are at the start of the day – alert enough for substance, but not yet ready for the heaviness of an evening newscast. The programme itself will be topical, discussing the current-affairs issues affecting TT and the world through credible and reliable sources. The aim is to ensure the viewer is well prepared for the day ahead.

“We’re dissecting, analysing and presenting the news in a manner that is palatable on mornings.

“And then we have a lighter show towards the end, like a birthday club, culture conversations about Carnival, health, wellness, and regular talk-show things. Basically, there’s something for everyone.”

For Balkaran, being entrusted with a national morning show feels like both a return and an arrival. TTT is familiar ground, but the woman returning is not the same woman who left years earlier.

“I think TTT will always be home.

“I said to myself, ‘Okay, you left, but what did you do with the time that you were not here? I have to have something to show for it.’

“And so I felt like I went and I worked and I worked, so now it’s hard to deny me something that I worked hard for and I know that I’m ready for.”

All about people

Balkaran’s first venture into television was unexpected. It started in 2013, which proved pivotal to her career.

At that time, she was politically aligned, but became disenchanted with politics in general, and walked away, unsure what would come next.

Almost immediately, WinTV reached out, suggesting she host a programme because she had “a youth opinion.”

The show never made it to air, as the station closed soon after, but her interest in the media was piqued. In December 2013, she stumbled on a radio broadcasting course, though at the time, she said, she still had no intention of entering the media. Curiosity, more than ambition, led her through the door.

“I felt like I really loved politics. But more than that, I feel like I really love people, and talking to people, and I thought that I was in a business of people, and that was where I wanted to be.

“I found that media was my calling in order to connect with people. That one course really sparked something in me. I felt like, ‘Okay, I really like this. This is really interesting.’

“I had a demo, one thing led to the next, and I decided to just take a chance and apply to TTT, which was CNMG back then.”

By January 2014, she was working as a broadcaster across TTT’s three radio stations – Talk City 91.1 FM, Next 99.1 FM and Sweet 100.1 FM.

Her first major television moment came unexpectedly in 2016, after the death of former prime minister Patrick Manning.

“We were in a broadcasting workshop when the news of his passing broke. I was kind of thrust into the position, like: ‘Go on television and help to anchor this.’ There was nobody else present to do it, and I was dressed already.

“It was destiny. And that was a life-changing experience.

“From that, I went on to hosting Panorama on television and I hosted Carnival on TV or live broadcast. So I was doing a lot of those things as well as working as a radio producer on the three stations…

“It was a very intensive kind of four-year period.”

Once producers realised she could handle the pressure, her workload expanded. Balkaran became a radio producer and presenter, TV host and social media correspondent, often juggling multiple roles at once.

Between August 2016 and February 2017, she also hosted her own entertainment programme on Synergy TV, because her CNMG contract at the time covered only radio broadcasting.

In November 2017, she left CNMG to join the TT Radio Network’s Star 94.7 FM, where she would remain for more than eight years. That move gave her something she had not had before: autonomy. She worked deliberately on building her personal brand and delved into digital marketing, managing her own time and choosing topics that mattered to her.

As her presence grew online, Balkaran became increasingly conscious of the responsibility that came with visibility. She began studying the science behind sharing on the internet and how audiences engage with media personalities.

She realised that as a broadcaster, people would feel they knew her and would build relationships with her based on that perception. She leaned into it, offering carefully considered glimpses into her life. As she gained more followers, she felt an obligation to take them on her journey, and they began to feel like family.

“I took the theory of how to become an influencer, and I was basically going around talking about it and talking about parasocial interaction. I really wanted to get a little deeper into the industry, especially the digital media world.”

So in 2021, Balkaran enrolled at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts (Costaatt). She did an associate of arts and sciences degree in journalism and PR in 2024, followed by a BA in mass communication and media studies in 2025.

“I worked backwards! I felt like I was gaining all the experience I needed – and then I went and I got the degree to say I have this piece of paper.

“Why did I need this piece of paper? Because I felt like it’s such a male-dominated industry, especially where I was at radio, and if you ever want to have any upward mobility in the media industry, you have to have a piece of paper that says, ‘I studied for it.’ Because having experience these days is, apparently, just not enough, or being good at it is just not enough.

“So I have a piece of paper and I have the experience, and hopefully they don’t take you for a joke when you’re coming to the table with all of this.”

While she acknowledged the challenges, she was careful to note that her experience at Star was different. She said the men she worked with built her up, allowed her to shine and supported her growth.

Alongside her studies, Balkaran developed a digital marketing consultancy and, since 2023, has lectured in media studies, radio and television broadcasting at Starr Broadcasting Ltd.

In addition, over the past four or five years, she has worked closely with the Diabetes Association, is a goodwill ambassador for Support Autism TT, collaborates with animal activists and raises awareness about polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

“I really try to push as much as possible on social media. Especially if you have a big profile, have a big following, you have a big voice. It makes no sense if you have all of these things and you’re not using them to do anything better for the world. So it’s no longer about self. It’s about people.”

She describes herself as being “in the business of people,” and believes people are the reason she is where she is today.

Finding her voice

Balkaran is an only child, raised by parents she described as strict, conservative and hardworking. Her mother, Shantie, and father, Lomash, worked at multiple jobs to ensure she was properly cared for, and encouraged her to pursue a well-rounded life.

Academically strong, she was involved in numerous after-school activities, though she describes herself as painfully shy as a child. That began to change when she was made valedictorian at Charlieville ASJA Primary School and had to deliver a speech and interact with other people.

At Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College, she worked hard to continue her transformation. She joined the debate club, drama and any activity she described as “loud.”

“I think I wanted to use my voice as much as I could.”

She said her teachers inspired her, not just intellectually but aesthetically. Though her family was not well off, she admired the elegance and grace of the women who taught her, and wanted to build a life where some luxuries were possible.

Her parents, she said, grew alongside her and society, supporting decisions they didn’t always fully understand.

“I knew I had no other option than to make it, and to make my parents proud, because they’ve done so much for me, to really give me a life they did not have. And the degree – while it sucks you have to do that – it was a really good experience, and, although they didn’t need it, I got to give that to my parents.”

Balkaran told Newsday the prospect of returning to TTT can be scary at times, but she generally feels comfortable, as most people have been warm and welcoming.

Now, as she prepares to greet viewers each morning on Trinidad and Tobago Today, Balkaran sees the programme as an extension of everything she’s worked towards – journalism, advocacy, education and human connection.