Radio Jamaica Celebrating 70 Years

Page 26 Sunday July 4, 2021 Hughes said, “So how much do you want?” Walker was perplexed and could hardly contain his laughter when he realised that Hughes was offering him a job in the News Department at JBC. He had no intention of taking that job and politely told Hughes that he would get back to him. However, about a week later, Walker was accosted by his boss, Don Bucknor, and to his amazement, “cussed” out. It was only after some time and the appearance of Hughes that Walker realised that Hughes had, in fact, gone to the HR Department at JBC and requested that Walker be reassigned to the News Department. Bucknor was livid, and Walker, feeling that he had unknowingly compromised his position with TV Production, reluctantly went over to the newsroom. He spent two years there in a relatively productive period of his career and then moved on to become head of the News Department at the newly created CVM- TV. Walker remained at CVM from 1993 to 2007. In 2007, he resigned his position and returned to the United Kingdom, where he was born. In 2008, he was approached by Gary Allen and Lester Spaulding, who convinced him to return to Jamaica and head the RJR News Department. Walker eventually agreed and has been head of news at RJR since 2009. During that period, the Sports Department was added to his portfolio. The Radio Jamaica News Centre produces news stories for radio, TVJ, and various online platforms belonging to the Group. Although RJR MiltonWalker In It By Chance It’s not easy, but it is very rewarding, and although I may have become a news person reluctantly, I understood the nature of the job from the onset. Doing broadcast news is not easy, but it can be very exciting.” and The Gleaner have merged, the two entities have kept their newsrooms separate, except for the occasional collaboration on a story of particular significance. The newsroom has benefitted from major technological changes as the digital era has advanced, but this has been offset, to some degree, by the contracting of the number of journalists who work at RJR News. At the present time, Walker has under him a Head of Sports, a Head of News, and a Head of Current Affairs, as well as several reporters and producers. He is aware of the reputation that he has inherited at RJR for reliable and credible news and that the Group remains the number- one source for broadcast news in Jamaica. “It’s not easy, but it is very rewarding, and although I may have become a news person reluctantly, I understood the nature of the job from the onset. Doing broadcast news is not easy, but it can be very exciting.” continued from page 24