NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2025 20 the space for female broadcasters in entertainment and lifestyle radio. In more recent years, women like Emily Shields, Dahlia Harris, Dadrian Gordon, Dionne Jackson Miller, and Judith Crawford McGregor have continued to shape the airwaves with sharp insight, engaging conversation, and fearless commentary. Shields, with her incisive interviewing style, has become one of the most in uential voices in public affairs broadcasting, while Harris brings creativity, cultural advocacy, and dynamic storytelling that re ect the evolving energy of Jamaican life. Dadrian Gordon has built her reputation on clarity, warmth, and engaging delivery, balancing both news and entertainment with ease. She has become a trusted voice for listeners across generations, embodying consistency and credibility while also connecting with younger audiences through her relatable and refreshing style. Dionne Jackson Miller is celebrated for her engaging presence and versatility across news, talk, and entertainment, becoming a de ning voice for a new generation of listeners. Judith Crawford McGregor, meanwhile, has carved her own path into the hearts of listeners at home and abroad, combining empathy and authority in every broadcast. Through the years, these women have been at the frontlines of history. They have delivered breaking news during hurricanes and national emergencies, guided listeners through elections, and celebrated the triumphs of Jamaican culture. Their broadcasts were more than information; they were affirmations that women’s voices belong at the center of national life. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 underscored their importance. In a time of fear and disruption, female broadcasters at Radio Jamaica provided calm, clarity, and connection. Their voices became lifelines, offering Jamaicans not just news, but guidance, reassurance, and hope. As Radio Jamaica 94FM marks its 75th anniversary, the in uence of these women is inseparable from the station’s success. From pioneers like Dottie Dean, Marie Garth, and Janette Mowatt to the authority of Norma Brown Bell, Erica Allen, and Megan Thomas, the brilliance of Barbara Gloudon and Dorraine Samuels, the dynamism of Antoinette Haughton and Paula-Ann Porter Jones, the cultural energy of Heather “Brown Sugar” Grant, and the contemporary leadership of Emily Shields, Dahlia Harris, Dadrian Gordon, Dionne Jackson Miller, and Judith Crawford McGregor; their collective legacy has rede ned broadcasting in Jamaica. The women of Radio Jamaica are more than voices on the dial; they are storytellers, leaders, and icons. Their legacy is woven into the fabric of Jamaican life, ensuring that the nation will always hear voices of strength, vision, and connection. And as a new generation of broadcasters like Dadrian Gordon carry the torch forward, the station’s proud tradition of strong, fearless female voices remains not only preserved, but renewed – “Connecting Generations… Preserving Legacies” for decades to come. RADIO JAMAICA 75TH ANNIVERSARY FEATURE | THE SUNDAY GLEANER | AUGUST 31, 2025 Dahlia Harris Dadrian Gordon GLEANER PHOTOS WOMEN CONTINUED FROM 19
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