Radio Jamaica Celebrating 70 Years

Page 54 Sunday July 4, 2021 The 50s 1950 - July 9: RJR, began commercial broadcasting. To ensure islandwide coverage, the new company distributes wireless receivers to more than 200 designated listening posts – schools, police stations, postal agencies, and local stores. Advertising began almost immediately. 1951 - August: The station moved from John Grinan’s residence on Seaview Avenue to 32 Lyndhurst Road, where it remains today. Within a couple of days, Hurricane Charlie hit and became the first big news story RJR transmitted out of Broadcasting House. 1953 : Frequency Modulated (FM) transmitters were installed at Coleyville and Tinson Pen, making Jamaica the first country in the entire British Commonwealth to broadcast on this band. 1955 : RJR had its first official coverage of a general election on January 12. 1959 : On July 28, general election coverage of what was then assumed to be the last election before Jamaica would gain independence took place. The 60s 1962 : Reditune service was introduced, ushering the piped-music era to offices and corporate meeting rooms. A tape-based system, Reditune eventually gave way to MusiPage, providing continuous live music to subscribers. As a result of the no-vote in the West Indies Federation Referendum, general elections were held on April 10, resulting in a Jamaica Labour Party win and paving the way for Alexander Bustamante to become independent Jamaica’s first prime minister. On August 6, RJR covered the transition of Jamaica from a British colony to an independent nation. In August 1962, RJR covered the first major multisport event to be held in Jamaica, the Central America and Caribbean Games, for which the National Stadium had been built. The Games started less than two weeks after Jamaica’s independence. 1966 : In August, RJR covered the British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Jamaica, to this day still the largest multisport event to be held in an English-speaking territory of the West Indies. The 70s 1971 : Alan Magnus took over the hosting of the Good Morning Man show and would continue in that capacity for the next 46 years. 1972 : Radio Jamaica introduced a second daily transmission on the FM band. It was called RJR-FM, or Capital Stereo, filling the need for soothing, uninterrupted music. 1977 : The Government of Jamaica acquired ownership of RJR from the British Rediffusion Group and subsequently divested the station to a range of “people-based organisations” including trade unions, credit unions, churches, farmers, professional associations, and staff. Douglas Judah - first chairman of RJR - resigned after almost 28 years at the helm. He was replaced by Peter Abrahams. 1978 : The Green Bay Massacre became the story of the decade, dividing the nation deeply along political lines and helping to create the tensions leading up to the 1980 General Election. The 80s 1981 - In May, RJR led the nation in radio coverage of the death and funeral of Bob Marley. 1984 : In April, a new station was formed using the call-sign FAME-FM, the first part of the name being an acronym for Fraternity of Amazing Musical Expression. FAME FM has been a pace-setter, developing programmes which, while playing a cross section of music, also give the listener the opportunity to meet the personalities selecting the records. The 90s 1990 : The station ushered in a new technology, simulcast broadcasting used to cover sporting events such as the 1990 International Test cricket series and the annual Budget Debate in the House of Representatives. The station moved further with enhanced programming, including Weekend Music Sweeps and a one-hour broadcast of the BBC News. 1992 : On January 16, RJR is publicly traded on the Jamaica Stock Market for the first time. 1997 : Radio Jamaica acquired the television and radio portfolio of the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC). The acquisition makes the Radio Jamaica Group one of the most broad-based and integrated communications conglomerates in the Caribbean. RJR and its subsidiary entities became the RJR Communications Group. 1998 : The company completed the process of full computerisation; developed and launched the company’s first website – radiojamaica. com; and relaunched the newly acquired JBC television as Super Supreme TV. The name was unpopular nationally. RJR MILESTONES These are the events that helped to shape the paths of outstanding public service broadcasting by Radio Jamaica, now RJRGLEANER Communications Group, that are milestones in the station’s history.