Radio Jamaica Celebrating 70 Years

Page 22 Sunday July 4, 2021 LINE HOT current hosts, Emily Shields, Clive Mullings and Dr. Orville Taylor but the giant of them all is, without question, Barbara Gloudon. For most Jamaicans, Hotline is synonymous with Mrs. Gloudon. Mr. Allen further noted that he viewed having three hosts working across the week as a great idea as it offers a variety that is well received. An example of the proactive nature of Hotline is the “ Hotline for the Elderly Relief Effort” established by the current hosts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme offers relief via food packages and other items to elderly Jamaicans who have lost the ability to take care of themselves. Hotline continues to be the talk show that gives the average person a voice about the everyday things as well as the complex issues. It remains relevant and the perfect example of the correct approach to public-affairs programming. It has added all the modern components of social media, podcasts, and online presence, so it has evolved, developed, and embraced the new realities in the landscape of media. At one stage, Hotline was heavily driven by letter writing, and the reading of these letters on the programme, and then it became focused on those people who had access to a telephone to call in. Later, Hotline was the first to introduce a charge-free line for callers and became one of the first programmes to go on air and online at the same time. So it has been both a programme of longevity and evolution. Radio talk-show hosts have a difficult job. They must facilitate strong and diverse opinions and maintain their objectivity while managing the programme in an orderly fashion, pursuing the truth and examining the heart of the issues. Mr. Allen further indicated: “Our hosts have been phenomenal. Hotline has had a close relationship with the news centre, which allows them to follow up on stories and track information. There have been persons in the news centre like Terry Smith, who was an industrial relations man; Michael Sharpe, on parliamentary issues; David Ebanks; Omri Evans; and Peter Abrahams, who all had tremendous personal databanks that they could share with the programme. In addition to that, the Hotline hosts have had a lot of personal information and contacts, which they use in managing the programme. “The generation of information from whatever the important news issues were would inevitably lead to in-person discussions on Hotline . Topical issues in programmes like the current That’s a Wrap and Beyond the Headlines generate discussions on Hotline during the week.” Hotline remains the conscience of Jamaica. continued from page 21