Radio Jamaica Celebrating 70 Years

Sunday July 4, 2021 Page 57 Kalisha Lawrence, Programmes Manager, Radio Service, RJRGLEANER Communications Group, spoke about the vision for Radio Jamaica’s future. “I see us continuing to be very diverse, serving the community - not just the local community, but the global community - to teach, inform, and entertain our listeners and to do all this using the highest standards of broadcasting. We shall continue to do that as long as we can attract the support we need from our advertisers and sponsors as we have had for the past 70 years. We depend on our listeners, who continue to use the technology to call us from all over the world. “ Radio is relevant as long as we are aware of the needs of our listeners. They need credible information on demand, and they need this information on whichever platform they are using. We understand that we must speak to them where they are, whether it’s on the Internet, by a mobile app, or on a car radio. We will ensure that radio is available for them. So, what next? continued from page 56 “We have changed with the changing needs, with the technology, and with the demands of each new era, but we maintain our core philosophy. Radio is a crucial mobile media. Radio does not require the attention of your senses, except for hearing, although radio will, through the use of documentaries, radio dramas, and other products, allow the listener to exercise their imagination in a way that only books can challenge. When you hear a radio story, you paint the picture in your mind. You decide what the scene looks like, sounds like, smells like, and feels like, so it offers a great boon to the creative imagination. “One exciting option on the horizon is that we shall soon be able to use the technology to allow us to do outside broadcasts with much less equipment and less staff while maintaining the high technical quality of the broadcast and lowering the cost. “We will always look at the needs of our clients and how we can improve the product to make it more attractive for them. Radio Jamaica will continue to serve the needs of all of our listenership. We are a national station, as our name indicates, and we will never become a niche station because we must serve the needs of all our listeners. We look forward to another 70 years.”