NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2025 8 radio station; it became an indispensable cultural and media hub. It served as a recording studio for music producers and advertisers, a centre for radio drama production, and retained its reputation as the most trusted and reliable source of up-to-date news. EVOLUTION AND EXPANSION Radio Jamaica (RJR) cemented its place at the forefront of Jamaican media with a diverse and engaging array of programming. Shows like The Good Morning Man Show, The Midday News, and BBC World News at 8, featuring precise time checks to the second from London, kept listeners well-informed and connected to global events.The station’s local dramas, including Dulcimina and Wrong Move, alongside popular foreign radio serials like The Continuing Story of Dr Paul and Portia Faces Life, provided compelling content. Its sportscasts, live outside broadcasts, parliamentary reports, discussion programmes, and a variety of music shows helped RJR maintain a competitive edge well into the 21st century. The station’s in uence was felt throughout the island, with its programming de- ning the tone for Sunday radio and making Saturday a ‘race day’ for the entire nation. RJR became an integral part of daily life, waking up Jamaicans each morning and captivating housewives with its soap operas.The afternoons were dedicated to music and youth, featuring renowned deejays like Charlie Babcock, Winston ‘The Whip’ Williams, and Don Topping, as well as prominent female radio personalities such as Dottie Dean and Marie Garth. In September 1972, RJR expanded its reach with the launch of CAPITAL STEREO, later rebranded as FAME FM. This new FM station quickly attracted a youthful audience, with notable personalities like Norma BrownBell, Patrick Lafayette, Jimmy Hastings, Alwyn Scott, Francois St. Juste, Nardia Manderson, and Paula-Ann Porter-Jones becoming prominent gures in the Jamaican media landscape. The mid-1970s brought significant change as the Government, led by Michael Manley, acquired ownership of RJR from the British Rediffusion Group. The station was transferred to a diverse array of ‘people-based organisations,’ including trade unions, credit unions, farmers’ groups, professional associations, and staff. This transition marked the beginning of RJR’s journey as a fully Jamaicanowned entity, setting new standards for local broadcast media. Re ecting its commitment to corporate responsibility, RJR adopted the slogan “Active For the Good of the Nation.” In 1997, RJR made a strategic move by acquiring most of the assets of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) under the leadership of Chairman Lester Spaulding and Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. This acquisition preserved JBC’s legacy, while providing RJR with substantial growth opportunities.The JBC TV was rebranded as Television Jamaica (TVJ), and JBC Radio 2 became HITZ 92 FM. This expansion led to the rebranding of the media group as the RJR Communications Group in 1999. In 2006, RJR continued to evolve by entering the cable television market, launching its sports channel and acquiring existing channels such as Reggae Entertainment Television (RETV) and Jamaica News Network (JNN). Today Radio Jamaica media family includes twelve plus entities: TVJ, The Gleaner Company Media Limited, 1Sopt Media, Radio Jamaica 94FM, FAME 95FM, HITZ 92FM, Power 106FM, The Star, JNN, RETV, TVSN, Multimedia Jamaica and Music 99. In 2004, RJR relocated its operations from South Odeon Avenue to Broadcasting House at 32 Lyndhurst Road, Kingston. By 2012, the cable operations were also moved to Broadcasting House, centralising the group’s activities. The landmark merger on August 10, 2015 between the RJR Communications Group and the Gleaner Group of Companies created the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, the largest entity of its kind in the Englishspeaking Caribbean. This merger included the acquisition of the popular Power 106 radio station. Today, the RJRGLEANER Communications Group remains at the cutting edge of technology with innovations like the 1Spot Media app and expanding its services to the Cayman Islands, with plans for further licensees. In 2020, to commemorate its 70th anniversary, Radio Jamaica returned to its original name, celebrating its storied past while continuing to innovate and adapt in an evolving media landscape. RADIO JAMAICA 75TH ANNIVERSARY FEATURE | THE SUNDAY GLEANER | AUGUST 31, 2025 RJR’s imposing new building completed in April 1961, which now houses the administration offices, the newsroom and a late addition, the new record library. GLEANER PHOTOS Corporate headquarters and radio studios of the RJR Communications Group. RJR The R in Radio GENESIS CONTINUED FROM 7
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