Radio Jamaica Celebrating 70 Years

Sunday July 4, 2021 Page 13 T here are several things that have contributed to the longevity of Radio Jamaica Limited. First and foremost is the wide-ranging nature of its ownership. The company currently has over 15,000 shareholders, many of whom are ordinary Jamaicans who own shares in no other entity but want to be part of the ownership because they consider it so inextricably entwined with their own lives. These people come to AGMs, and they have opinions, which they share, and to which management listens, and over the years they have had an impact on the way that the company does business. We cannot just do anything we want, but have to be aware of our commitment to our shareholders and that their voice is important. This has meant that while other stations in the new media landscape may focus on one area of speciality, like entertainment, sports, or news, our shareholders require that we provide a more wide-ranging product. This offers information in specialist areas like farming, education, and health, programmes on religion, entertainment and culture, current events and, of course, our most envied area of expertise, which is news. Second, Radio Jamaica’s credibility over the years has remained virtually unblemished. Our reputation for reliable, credible, and timely news and analysis of important events is unmatched. We are the source that people go to when there is a natural disaster or a major tragedy, a major crime event, or an event of national celebration like the Olympic Games. Third is our dedication to corporate citizenship. Radio Jamaica is always the first to offer a helping hand to those in need. This was the basis for the creation of Hotline, which remains one of our flagship programmes to this day. This Thriving for Years The CEO of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group was asked about the longevity of Radio Jamaica at the time of its 70th anniversary. The following is a precis of his response. prompts our response when there is a national emergency such as a Hurricane Charlie or a Hurricane Gilbert or an epidemic outbreak like chikungunya, dengue fever, or the present outbreak of COVID -19, or when the Eventide Home was destroyed in that tragic fire that claimed so many lives. Radio Jamaica has been there immediately, responding through fundraising and leading the national charge to recovery. This has not been restricted to national events. When Haiti had its massive earthquake, Radio Jamaica was first in line with relief in both cash and kind to assist our Caribbean neighbour. After the Eventide fire, it was Radio Jamaica that was first in proposing the building of what is now the Golden Age Home and providing the initial funding for the establishment of that facility. To this day, we maintain Cluster C of the Golden Age Home. So extensive has our outreach to the community been that Radio Jamaica is beloved in the Lyndhurst Road area, where we are regarded as part of the family. The other main reason for our longevity are the stability and high standard of our leadership and staff. Over the years, Radio Jamaica, including the transition to the RJRGLEANER Group, has only had six chairpersons. First and foremost among these was Lester Spaulding, who started in the Accounting Department and ended as Chairman and who spent over 50 years with Radio Jamaica. Others, like Hol Plummer, also spent over 50 years at Radio Jamaica, starting as a technician and ending as a member of the board of directors. There are many other examples I could give, including Alan Magnus, who spent over 46 years at the company. Ralston McKenzie, has also been with the company for over 45 years, and Norma Brown-Bell, who is in charge of our community outreach, has been here for four decades. Even some of our relatively younger staff members, such as Francois St. Juste, who has been with the company for over 36 years, and Paula-Anne Porter Jones, who last year celebrated her 25th year with Radio Jamaica, have been here for a substantial amount of time. British Journalists pose with Barry Gordon (Barry “G”). The journalists toured RJR’s studios on a British Airways promotional tour in 1968. Courtney Sergeant, Mike McCallum, Donald Quarrie and Ed Barnes