Congratulations

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Congratulations 

...to the RJR Group 

on 65 years of 

innovation. 

Celebrating a culture dedicated to 

uncovering the truth with accuracy and 

equity. Always. 

Let’s continue to help Jamaicans put their best lives forward. 

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MILESTONES 

November 17, 1939 — VP5PZ makes its first official broadcast 

from Seaview Avenue, Kingston 10. 

1940 — VP5PZ is rechristened ZQI and taken over by the 

British Colonial Government. 

July 9, 1950 — The Jamaica Broadcasting Company takes 

over ZQI from the government and renames it Radio Jamaica. 

1951 — Radio Jamaica adds its redefussion service and 

becomes known as RJR (Radio Jamaica and Re-defussion). 

August 1951 — RJR moves to Broadcasting House on 

Lyndhurst Road, Kingston 5. 

1953 — RJR begins FM transmissions at Coleyville and 

Tinson Pen. 

The official ceremony marking the opening of Rediffusion 

service in Jamaica, on June 25, 1951. Photo shows Dennis Gick 

(right), making the inaugural broadcast. 

1959 — In response to the founding of the Jamaica 

Broadcasting Corporation by the Government, Radio Jamaica 

officially changes its name to Radio Jamaica Limited. 

1971 — Alan Magnus takes over the hosting of the “Good 

Morning Man” Show. 

1972 — RJR establishes the first FM station in the British 

Commonwealth (outside Britain) RJR The Supreme Sound. 

1977 — The Government divests RJR to a wide-ranging 

Jamaican ownership group. Douglas Judah (first chairman 

of RJR) resigns after almost 28 years at the helm. He is 

replaced by Peter Abrahams. 

1997 — RJR acquires most of JBC in Government divestment. 

Former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and RJR Chairman J.A. 

Lester Spaulding sign agreement for JBC media entities. 

1999 — JBC TV rechristened as Television Jamaica (TVJ) 

1999 — RJR and its subsidiary entities become the RJR 

Communications Group 

2004 — The RJR Communications Group opens its new 

state-of-the-art facility at Broadcasting House to host 

Television, News, Sports and Engineering 

2005 — The RJR Sports Foundation takes over the staging of 

the annual National Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards. 

2015 — RJR Communications Group creates “1SpotMedia” 

an integrated phone app and online subscriber service for 

all group media content. 

Dr. Peter Phillips participates in the ground-breaking 

ceremony for the Television, News, Sports and Engineering 

buildings in 2003. 

RADIO JAMAICA PIONEERS FOR SIXTY FIVE YEARS | 1

2 | RADIO JAMAICA PIONEERS FOR SIXTY FIVE YEARS

CONTENTS 

26 

ICONIC RJR PROGRAMMES 

Veteran Broadcaster Barrington “Barry G “Gordon (2nd left) 

10 BORN IN THE FIRES 

THE RJR STORY 

Without the tragedy and horrors of the Second World War in the late 

1930s, Radio Jamaica might not have existed today. 

41 

THE DEAN OF MORNING RADIO 

Alan Magnus on-air...every morning...five days a week; he is 

seated next to Dorraine Samuels and Simon Crosskill. 

32 

FAMILY STALWARTS 

15 

J.A. LESTER SPAULDING 

A half century of experience for the 

‘Man at the Helm.’ 

RJR has been fortunate to have a 

determined cadre of media professionals 

who have remained steadfast over the 

years. 

21 

GARY ALLEN 

Working in Media was always the Managing 

Director’s dream career. 



CONTENTS 

01 

29 

36 

48 

53 

MILESTONES 

Historic moments in the RJR’s story. 

LEADERSHIP SETS THE 

TONE 

It is the steady stream of new ideas brought on mainly by 

staffers promoted from within. 

RJR AND THE NEWS 

RJR 94FM is Jamaica’s first and primary source of news. 

INSIDE LOOK AT OUTSIDE 

BROADCASTING 

RJR is the innovator in Outside Broadcasting. 

NORMA BROWN BELL 

Managing the Magic as RJR’s Road Traffic Angel. 

56 

HOLFORD PLUMMER: ALL THE RUNGS 

Hol Plummer with 53 years of service stands tall as the 

man with the longest service record to the company, to 

date. 

59 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 

Editor's Note 

Welcome to the Radio Jamaica 

Pioneers magazine produced in 

recognition of the radio station’s 65 

years of broadcasting. It has been 

an amazing journey! 

Iconic programmes and 

personalities have underpinned its 

exceptional performance spanning 

over six decades, as the station 

continues to occupy its rightful 

position as part of the country’s 

national heritage. Six generations 

have grown up listening to RJR, and 

so it’s not surprising that over the 

period it has helped to shape and 

disseminate content that reinforces 

national pride. 

Without a doubt the “Boss Radio” 

remains the soundtrack of our 

lives, broadcasting consistently 

credible news, authentic Jamaican 

music, backed by current affairs 

programmes. 

There are not many institutions 

that can celebrate 65 years of solid 

performance. RJR, in celebrating this 

milestone, reflects on the station’s 

ability to re-engineer, and reinvent 

itself as the tastes and expectations 

of its diverse audiences transform 

and modernise. 

In this RJR’s 65th year, the RJR 

Communications Group reaffirms 

its commitment to safeguarding the 

core values which make the station 

very special – integrity, accuracy, 

truth and credibility. 

This celebration also offers us the 

opportunity to reminisce and reflect 

while we enjoy the living legacy. 

Radio Jamaica Pioneers is an 

expression of the station’s journey 

of excellence. We have tried to touch 

on as many key points as possible 

in the knowledge that you will enjoy 

reading and celebrating with us the 

65th birthday of RJR 94FM. 

Happy Birthday Boss Radio! 

Yvonne Wilks-O’Grady 

Editor-in-Chief 


LIMITED EDITION 2015 

Editor-in-Chief 

Managing Editor 

Copy Editor 

Contributors 

Creative Director 

Graphic Designers 

Photographs 

Publishing Assistant 

Sales Executives 

Finance 

Printer 

Distributor 

Yvonne Wilks-O’Grady 

Alvin Campbell 

R. Christene King 

Mark Thompson 

Gabrielle McDowell 


Ruth Chisholm 

Joni Wedderburn 

Kori Solomon 

Kamal Hines 

Dwanne Francis 

RJR Archives 

Ashia Campbell 

Susie Bentley 

Gresela Nadine Brown 

Andrea Messam 

Marcha Christie 

Xpress Litho Limited 

RJR Gift Shop 

Publisher 

Multi-Media Jamaica Limited 

A member of the 

RJR Communications Group 

Broadcasting House 

32 Lyndhurst Road, Kingston 5 

http://rjrgroup.com 

http://www.multimediajamaica.com 

http://www.1spotmedia.com/ 

ISSN 0799-4338 

All rights reserved Radio Jamaica Limited 2015 


CONTRIBUTORS 

Gabrielle McDowell 

Gabrielle McDowell is a graduate 

from The Immaculate Conception 

Preparatory and High Schools. 

Currently, she is pursuing a 

Bachelor of Science in Economics 

at the University of the West 

Indies, Mona Campus. She has 

been a writer for the past five 

years. Her interests include 

Entrepreneurship, Foreign 

Exchange Trading, Interior Design 

and Fashion. 


Alvin Campbell is a successful 

writer/songwriter, editor stage 

manager, producer, logistical expert 

and audio-visual consultant. He has 

writing credits for LIVE televised 

events and an LTM pantomime 

script, Jangah Rock. Campbell has 

lectured in “Sports and Health 

Journalism”, “Event Planning” and 

“Feature Writing” at the University 

of the West Indies, Mona Campus 

and CARIMAC. Among his 

achievements is co-writing the 

biography of Jamaican sprinting 

great Merlene Ottey – Unyielding 

Spirit. 

Mark Thompson 

Mark Thompson is an 

award-winning journalist, 

editor and communications 

consultant with over a decade 

of experience. A first-class 

honours graduate of the 

University of the West Indies 

(UWI), he is actively engaged 

in content development 

across various traditional 

and new media platforms 

and is passionate about 

photography. 

Ruth Chisholm 

Ruth Chisholm is a writer and 

communication specialist with 

experience in strategic planning, 

speechwriting, communication 

campaign design and crisis 

communication. She has been 

published in Kuya Magazine, 

Frontlines publication, and the 

International Federation of Red 

Cross and Red Crescent World 

Disaster Report. She contributes 

to Let’s Eat Out Magazine, 

CaribLit.org and is co-editor of the 

Do Good Jamaica blog. 

Writer and public 

relations consultant, Joni 

Wedderburn, has enjoyed 

a long-standing affair with 

creative and engaging 

communication having 

lived in cosmopolitan Miami, 

historic London and bustling 

Kingston. She is currently the 

“Buzz Director” of her new, 

dynamic publicity agency, 

PR Muse. 

Joni Wedderburn 


THE RJR STORY 


THE RJR STORY 

RJR STAFF at the newly opened Broadcasting House, 32 Lyndhurst Road, Kingston 5. 


THE RJR STORY 

Born in the fires of World War II 

The RJR Story 

Without the tragedy and horrors of the Second World War in the 

late 1930s, Radio Jamaica might not have existed today. 

The first radio transmissions in Jamaica 

were via a shortwave “ham radio” system 

operated from the Seaview Avenue, 

Kingston home of the “ham” operator, 

John Grinan. A “ham radio” is one 

operated by an amateur with a licence 

to use radio frequencies normally used 

by a citizen, such as citizens’ bank or 

CB radio. 

Back in 1939 Grinan moved from 

his amateur radio operation and 

negotiated with the colonial government 

to set up a broadcast station with 

call-sign VP5PZ and began weekly 

broadcasts. Ten weeks after Germany’s 

September 1, 1939 invasion of Poland, 

which then led France and the United 

Kingdom to declare war on Germany, 

Grinan started offering about 30 minutes 

of wartime news and information. 

Seventy-eight days later on November 

17, 1939 official broadcasting started in 

Jamaica, as on that day Governor Sir 

Arthur Richards made the first radio 

broadcast over station VP5PZ. 

The colonial government, then in 

wartime mode, wanted firm control of 

radio and Grinan acceded to Governor 

Richards’ request to hand over station 

VP5PZ. The station, now re-christened, 

ZQI (1940) increased its air-time 

and regularity of broadcasts, though 

listenership never totalled more than 

100,000 given the relatively high cost 

of radio sets at that time 

Six years later as the war ended, the 

government lost its imperative to hang 

on to ZQI and its drain on government 

resources led them to sell the station. On 

July 9, 1950, the Jamaica Broadcasting 

Company (not Corporation) took over 

the station under the new name “Radio 

Jamaica”. The station started Amplitude 

Modulation (AM) transmission. 

By 1951 the company started its 

rediffusion service (distributing radio 

by wire) and the new entity became 

known as RJR (Radio Jamaica and Rediffusion). 

Rediffusion carried RJR’s 

programming to subscribers throughout 

the nineteen and a quarter (19 ¼) hours 

of planned radio broadcasts each day, 

and continued throughout the night after 

radio “signed off’ at midnight carrying 

uninterrupted recorded music. The 

Rediffusion service was discontinued in 

1968. Throughout this period and into 

the 1970s, RJR was owned by the British 

Rediffusion group. 

August 1951 also saw the station’s 

move from Seaview Avenue to its current 

location, the iconic “Broadcasting 

House” at Lyndhurst Road. By 1953 

Frequency Modulated (FM) transmitters 

were installed at Manchester and St. 

Catherine, making Radio Jamaica 

the first radio station in the British 

Commonwealth to broadcast regular 

scheduled programmes on the FM band. 

RJR was mandated to cover the entire 

island with radio broadcasting. Initially, 

about 200 wireless receiving sets were 

set up in designated listening posts 

around the island, at schools, police 

stations and village stores. Jamaican 

radio became a social phenomenon. 

Radio Jamaica’s licence was also the 

first commercial radio licence in Jamaica 

allowing, for the first time, for the station 

to sell advertising time. 

An early studio newscast presented by a 

young Dorothy “Dotty Dean” La Croix 

Winston “The Whip“ Williams interviews 

a member of the public during an RJR 

outside broadcast. 

Primary source 

RJR became the nation’s primary 

source of communication through 

programmed music, regular newscasts, 

radio dramas, discussions, concerts 

and other forms of entertainment, 

challenging the entrenched position of 

the local newspapers. Eventually, when 

the government decided to operate its 

own public broadcasting station named 

Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, 

Radio Jamaica’s name was formally 

changed from the Jamaica Broadcasting 

Company to Radio Jamaica Limited. 

RJR became, not just a radio station, 

but the radio station. It served as a 

recording studio for music producers 

and advertisers. It became a hub for 

radio drama production and kept its 

name at the forefront as the most 

trusted and reliable source for up-todate 

and accurate news. 


THE RJR STORY 

Its programming included “The Good 

Morning Man Show”, The Midday 

News and BBC World News at 8 

with its accurate time check to the 

second in London each morning. 

RJR is a pioneer in local dramas such 

as “Dulcimina”, “Wrong Move” and 

foreign radio series —“The Continuing 

Story of Dr Paul” and “Portia Faces 

Life” as well as its sportscasts, LIVE 

outside broadcasts, parliamentary 

reports, discussion programmes and 

hugely popular music programmes. 

All of this innovation saw the station 

remaining ahead of its competition 

well into the 21st century. It established 

the tone for Sunday radio and made 

Saturdays “race day” for the entire 

island. 

The nation woke up to RJR, housewives 

and those at home in the morning were 

glued to the soaps, the afternoon was 

dedicated to music and youth with 

deejays such as Charlie Babcock, 

Winston “The Whip” Williams, Don 

Topping, and the ladies of radio 

including Marie Garth. 

In September 1972, RJR began for the 

first time transmitting an FM service 

under the name CAPITOL STEREO 

(subsequently relaunched under the 

name FAME FM). The new station 

attracted a slew of youthful listeners 

and its leading lights, including Norma 

Brown Bell, Patrick Lafayette, Jeanie 

Hastings, Alwyn Scott, Francois St 

Juste, Narda Manderson and Paula-Ann 

Porter-Jones became celebrities in their 

own right. 

Setting the standard 

In the mid 1970s another change came 

to RJR as the government under the 

late Prime Minister, Michael Manley 

acquired ownership of the station from 

Pioneering RJR presenter/producer, Tony Verity 

the British Rediffusion Group and in 

1980 divested RJR to a range of “people 

based organisations” including trade 

unions, credit unions, farmers’ groups, 

professional associations and staff. 

RJR became fully Jamaican owned 

and continued setting the standard for 

Jamaican owned broadcast media. The 

diversity in shareholding remains intact, 

despite movement in the ownership of 

the shares. 


THE RJR STORY 

Its ownership has been reflected in its corporate policy, as 

RJR has consistently been concerned with being a good 

corporate citizen, initiating numerous programmes to 

support charities, needy institutions and adopting a number 

of community groups and institutions as special targets 

for assistance. 

In 1997, RJR acquired most of the assets of the Jamaica 

Broadcasting Corporation in a deal with the P.J. Patterson led 

government. In what was a shrewd move to preserve all that 

was good in the JBC, while providing RJR shareholders with 

an outstanding opportunity in media growth and expansion, 

the JBC acquisition has proven in time to have been one 

of the wisest decisions by RJR Chairman Lester Spaulding 

and former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. 

RJR renamed JBC-TV as Television Jamaica (TVJ) and JBC 

Radio 2 as HITZ 92 FM. A remaining Rediffusion department 

called REDITECH, which provided background music to 

offices, was expanded and developed into a new media 

company, now called Multi Media Jamaica Limited (MMJ). 

It shepherded RJR into the age of website developments, 

web-streaming activities and several other new media 

innovations, always being first in the media. 

With Radio Jamaica (RJR), sister station Capitol Stereo (now 

FAME), MMJ and then TVJ and Radio 2 (now HITZ 92FM), 

the growth of the family was substantial. It was therefore 

fitting in 1999 to organise 

and remarket the entities 

under the umbrella of the RJR 

Communications Group. 

Beloved radio host Marie Garth 

Growth never stops and 

after 55 years of constantly 

reinventing and re-energising 

itself in 2006 RJR ventured 

into the cable television 

industry. It launched its own 

sports channel and acquired 

two existing channels: 

Reggae Entertainment 

Television, (RE-TV) and 

Jamaica News Network, (JNN.) 

Now parent company Radio 

Jamaica has in the family 

eight entities; Television 

Jamaica (TVJ), Jamaica News Network (JNN), Reggae 

Entertainment Television (RE-TV), TVJ Sports Network 

(TVJ-SN), RJR 94, FAME 95, HITZ 92 FM and Multi-Media 

Jamaica Limited (MMJ). 

In 2004, RJR moved all its operations, based at the former 

South Odeon Avenue home of JBC, to Broadcasting 

House at 32 Lyndhurst Road. In 2012 it moved its 

cable operations from Premier Plaza, to Broadcasting 

House where all eight entities in the group are currently 

based. 




J.A. 

Lester 

Spaulding 

RJR Board Chairman 

A half century of experience 

for the “Man at the Helm” 

Q: RJR is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2015, when 

did you join the company and what have been your major 

personal milestones? 

A: Radio Jamaica Limited was a subsidiary of the foreign 

publicly owned British Electric Traction when I joined 

in February 1965 as accounting clerk (fresh from 

PriceWaterhouseCoopers). I rose to chief clerk (the British 

equivalent of chief accountant) in 1968. The Jamaican 

Government bought the company from the British in 1976 and 

I was promoted to managing director on April 1, 1978. I became 

chairman of the Board of Directors in addition to being MD 

in 1994 after the company was listed on the Jamaica Stock 

Exchange. I retired as managing director in 2008. I continue 

as non-executive chairman to date. 

Q: Looking back over the life of the company, what would you 

choose as the most significant media developments? 

Former Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson and RJR Board Chairman 

J.A. Lester Spaulding signed agreement for the purchase of 

JBC assets. 


A: I would group them as: 

1. Technical advances 

The creation of a mass media 

station from ZQI in 1950 to an 

AM radio service and Re-diffusion 

wired service; 2) the expansion 

of our FM carrier signal for our 

AM broadcasting, creating the 

first full FM broadcasting system, 

giving the public higher fidelity; 

and 3) launching a second FMonly 

channel, Capitol Stereo, in the 

early 1960s. 

2. Licencing and identity 

In the year of independence, the 

Government of Jamaica (GOJ) 

established competitive radio 

broadcasting with an AM radio 

station and a black and white 

television service called the 

Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation 

(JBC). This first competitive 

move led us to change our Jamaica 

Broadcasting Company (JBC), name to 

Radio Jamaica Limited as in Radio and 

Rediffusion service, hence RJR closed 

the outmoded Re-diffusion wired service 

in 1968. 

Resulting from the GOJ’s demand that 

media be owned by local investors 

and public based institutions, the GOJ 

bought the British owned company, 

Radio Jamaica Limited in 1976. 

3. Becoming a public company 

In 1980, in keeping with the social 

thinking of the era, RJR was converted 

into a company owned by mass 

representative organisations such as 

cooperatives, workers’ unions, staff, and 

the GOJ. Organisations acquired shares 

on special credit terms to facilitate 

purchase over time. 

The public listing of the company Radio 

Jamaica on the Jamaica Stock Exchange 

occurred in 1991 through the sale of the 

GOJ’s 25.1% holding. 

4. Political/social roles and a crowded 

field 

There was the GOJ’s deliberate policy 

to diversify media ownership, which led 

to a rapid change in the market share 

for RJR. The GOJ did not grant Rediffusion’s 

application for the creation 

of a television service in the late 1950s, 

nor did it grant RJR in the 1980s. 

Proud of our Chairman: A group of managers and directors celebrate with Chairman J.A. 

Lester Spaulding after he received a “Peer Award” for his outstanding contribution to media 

in the Caribbean September 2006. Back row from left: Stephen Legister (former director 

of technology strategy), Alan Wright (former director of marketing). Hol Plummer (former 

manager and board member), Gary Allen (managing director), Carl Domville (director) and 

Hector Dietrich (former deputy chairman) Front row from left: Andrea White (former marketing 

executive), Kay Osborne (former general manager – TVJ), the late Dorothy “Dotty Dean” 

LaCroix (former programmes manager/announcer and board director), Patricia Robinson 

(retired board director), J. A. Lester Spaulding, chairman and Judith Bodley (former station 

manager RJR 94FM). 

RJR finally entered television with the 

purchase of JBC Television and its Radio 

2FM licences in 1997, with the stipulation 

that we keep broadcasting during the 

construction of new facilities. We 

moved into our state of the art facilities 

in 2004 after building the country’s first 

Standard Digital Television facility. 

5. Expansion and modernisation 

Constantly expanding into additional 

media delivery forms, since the turn 

of this century, we purchased cable 

channels RETV and JNN, created TVJ- 

SN and now the ubiquitous 1Spot Media, 

to arrive where we are today. 

6. News highlights 

Our audiences would recall us covering 

big moments in history – the extensive 

coverage of visits of Royal personages, 

Heads of State, political campaigns and 

elections, high profile deaths including 

Bob Marley’s, and some of the great 

sports triumphs we enjoyed. We have 

always been Jamaica’s key source for 

world events such as the release of 

Nelson Mandela from prison, the fall of 

the Soviet Union, the election of the first 

black US President and others. 

Q: The biggest of Jamaican media 

personalities have come through RJR – 

who are some of the people you would 

say have had a significant impact on the 

course of broadcasting through their 

employment with RJR? 

A: Those that come to mind are 

our Good Morning men Desmond 

Chambers and Alan Magnus; our call-in 

show hosts Barbara Gloudon and Mutty 

Perkins; Charlie Babcock, Barry G and 

Don Topping revolutionised afternoon 

radio. Noteworthy also were Dorothy 

La Croix and Marie Garth in morning 

radio, Leachim Semaj as Night Doctor, 

and Phillip Jackson with “The Verdict is 

Yours” in nighttime radio. Peter Walker 

as Man in the Street and Brim Brimble, 

both sports presenters also stand out. 

Q: Most times people do not hear about 

the true heroes in industries; who would 

be some of the main unsung heroes in 

RJR? 

A: The true unsung heroes, to my 

mind, were the engineers led by Walter 

Matthews, Desmond Wilkinson, and 

Carroll Lawrence, assisted by Earl 

Toyloy and of more recent vintage 

Lloyd Bolageer, all of whom travelled 

out night and day, assisted by others 

such as Errol Dobney (Rock Hall) to 

keep the transmitters on air through 

fair and bad weather. Also to be 

admired were the studio and outside 

broadcast operators such as Lloyd 

(Sticky) Parkes and Leighton Anderson, 

who stopped at nothing and with 

great pride to accomplish broadcasts 

in difficult circumstances often with 

unsophisticated equipment. 



MAN AT THE HELM 

Of more recent vintage are Leon 

Lyons (Flato), now retired; and Melvis 

Cummings, still on the job, to name a 

few. One can’t forget marketing whizzes 

Peggy Samuels, Phyllis Weller, and 

Maurice Fernandes; news directors JC 

Proute and Janette Mowatt; editors and 

reporters Clifton Segree, David Ebanks, 

and Moya Thomas, and PR specialist 

journalist Terry Smith. 

Other heroes are administrators 

Geoffrey Morrison and Fred Richards 

of Re-diffusion, Reditech managers in 

charge of the momentous Re-diffusion’s 

wire service expansion outside 

the corporate area into Highgate; 

administrative managers Lloyd DePass, 

Gloria Matthews, and the exacting 

Rupert Hartley. 

Finally, programme directors such as 

John Colley, Howard Clarke, and Hugh 

Wong set the format for RJR on which 

we still build today. We had top drawer 

chairmen and directors such as Douglas 

Judah, Peter Abrahams, and Rev. C. 

Evans Bailey. We should recognise that 

Radio Jamaica has had over 65 directors 

since 1977; people like Charles DaCosta, 

K. H. Ivan Levy, Pat Robinson, Karl Lewin, 

and Hector Dietrich come to mind, in 

addition to those who are still serving. 

Q: How would you describe your 

relationship with your shareholders and 

the shareholder meeting experience? 

A: Fair. I see them and they see us, 

by and large, as an extension of their 

families. We are fortunate to have 

shareholders who will even forgive 

a lesser return on their investment 

than from say, a financial institution, 

because they want to be part of our 

important public service. If I had to do 

it over again, I would seek the effort to 

embrace stockholders as people and 

partners, even when it was difficult to 

pay a satisfying return financially. 

Q: What do you see as RJR’s biggest 

challenge(s) for the next 25 years? 

A: We must expand into new media 

platforms for content delivery, but this 

has to happen while we stay afloat in a 

stagnant economy of little growth. 

Q: What would be your charge to the 

board, the management and the staff of 

RJR at this time? 

A: Stay committed to our tradition of 

responsibility for truth, integrity, and 

quality, and don’t take a successful 

tradition for granted. Experiment with 

new things, while maintaining a true 

moral compass. Be creative, don’t 

depend only on what people/audiences 

say they want but be innovative and 

nimble, doing something new and 

different every six months or shorter, 

and make a lot of noise about it; 

otherwise your efforts and deeds will 

be lost in the increasing cacophony 

of noise in the market and society. Be 

creative leaders! 




The 

Kindness 

Of Others 

The MD’s Journey 

Someone had 

laughed at me, 

when at age 15, 

I said I wanted 

to work at RJR 

one day! Getting there is 

a little about me, but a lot 

about those who opened 

my consciousness and 

helped me along the way. 

My career actually started 

writing for the Gleaner as a 

correspondent in St. Mary 

– an opportunity opened 

by Franklyn McKnight, then 

deputy news editor for rural 

news. 

My St. Mary High School 

principal, Phillip Hamilton, 

introduced me to Franklyn 

explaining that I wrote for 

the school’s newsletter. 

And so right after high 

school Franklyn agreed to 

coach me in the basics of 

journalism. Off went my 

career – earning me $14.80 

for my first month’s pay in 

October 1985. 

I covered meetings of the 

St. Mary Parish Council 

for the Gleaner and there 

I met RJR correspondent, 

Harold Bailey. After about 

a year writing for print and 

as I listened to Harold do 

his radio stories, I became 

even more interested. I 

tried to understand radio 

from the outside, practicing 

to read a newscast on every 

newspaper I could find. 

Then, a classmate of mine, 

Andrea Williams, invited me 

to work with her at Radio 

North East in Ocho Rios, 

where since we left school, 

she had been allowed by 

Connie Witter to be a trainee 

announcer. The day I went 

to RNE I became possessed 

about working in a radio 

studio. 

Working in media was always my 

dream career! 

Gary Allen 


Collect call 

At a parish council meeting in 

Port Maria later, a former mayor, 

Noel “Bishie” Walker led a walkout 

protesting the poor roads and when 

the police took him into custody I 

knew it was big news. When I looked 

around Harold was not there for RJR. 

I ran to a pay phone and placed a call 

to RJR. “Collect call from Gary Allen 

in Port Maria” announced the 

operator. 

“I don’t know a Gary Allen,” the 

stern female voice declared from 

the other end. The charges were 

accepted and the lady immediately 

asked, “Who are you? “What is the 

story” “Did you write it?” Luckily I did. 

The story would make the midday 

news and my radio journalism 

career started on a chance meeting 

of News Editor Janette Mowatt who 

introduced herself at the end of the 

call. I was later paid $40 for my first 

radio story. 

Not long after, Harold migrated 

and I became both the Gleaner and 

RJR’s correspondent for St. Mary. 

A few months later Ms. 

Mowatt told me about a 

trainee rewrite editor position. 

I grabbed the opportunity, 

packed my bags and came 

to Kingston as a boarder and 

“a frighten country boy that 

come to town,” as one of my 

peers joked. I started full time 

work on October 20, 1987 with 

journalists such as Jennifer 

Grant, David Ebanks, Bobby 

Fray, Stafford Perkins, Gillian 

Haughton, Patrick Harley, 

Michael Sharpe, Michael 

Bryce and others already 

there. As sharp as they were, 

they were all under the rule of 

News Editor Mowatt. 

The doyen of the newsroom was a 

man who, on my first morning, called 

me over to his desk, stacked high with 

newsprint and just enough space for 

his green typewriter in between. He 

introduced himself as Terry Smith. 

“They call me T-rome,” he said, with 

his mostly white hair sticking up 

towards the roof. He had his trademark 

toothpick in his mouth and a pencil 

behind his right ear. “Welcome to the 

university of life,” he said. 

I didn’t understand then, but I was 

to learn many life lessons from Terry 

on industrial relations, union unrests, 

the history of the labour movement 

Rookie reporter Gary Allen on location 

Gary Allen in the recording studio 

and the political facts and factors of 

the day. From him I learnt as well, 

the harsh reality that your story is not 

fit for the bulletin, until it is properly 

written. 

I cried that day when Terry edited my 

first story. It took me more than five 

tries to get it right. I eventually got it 

into the next day’s midday newscast. 

That night when he was heading for 

the watering hole at the RJR Sports 

Club, I noticed he had a limp and 

walked with a cane. As I looked on, he 

turned and caught me staring. “What 

you drink?” he asked. “I don’t drink,” I 

replied. “Come, a goin’ have to teach 

you that too,” he said. 

Enlightening 

Ms. Mowatt got me enrolled into 

a USAID fellowship that took 

me to the University of North 

Carolina’s Journalism School, The 

Management Training Institute in 

Washington DC and on a visit to the 

IMF in early 1988. This seemed like 

another big dream but I absorbed 

everything I possibly could. 

Back in Jamaica, between Ms. 

Mowatt, Terry and Jennifer Grant I 

started reporting, did news features, 

co-hosted the Sunday afternoon 

programme, “Exposure”, worked 

on a monthly programme called 

FlashBack, walked the streets 

asking people questions for “Road 

Beat” and eventually 

worked as a duty 

editor. I remember 

after reading my first 

newscast, Ms. Mowatt 

called and said, 

“Thank you for not 

butchering the news, 

but you need a lot 

more work!” 

She sent me off 

to cover my first 

overseas assignment 

– the impact of 

Hurricane Andrew on 

the Bahamas, then on 

South Florida. 

Later, as Ms. Mowatt 

retired and after a brief 

stint by David Ebanks as executive 

editor, Jennifer Grant became news 

editor. Michael Sharpe and I were her 

assistants. 

During this time news commentators 

such as Peter Abrahams, Omar 

Davies, Delroy Lindsay, Ted Dwyer 



THE MD’s JOURNEY 

managers already mentioned. However, in reflecting on 

almost three decades in the media, one other person 

has been there. At RJR, CBU, CANA, CMC and now 

back at RJR, Lester Spaulding has always been in the 

leadership of all the companies for which I have worked 

(except for the three years I spent at CVM). 

His stable hand and his shrewd business approaches 

have been reassuring in all these organisations. And, 

although it was not until my role in CMC that I worked 

closely with him, the respect I have developed and 

which others share, make him an exceptional media 

management professional for which he has been 

formally acknowledged in the Caribbean Broadcasting 

Hall of Fame. 

The late Hugh Crosskill (left) with Olivia Grange, Former Prime Ministers Edward 

Seaga and P.J. Patterson 

and Omri Evans would come to the newsroom to debate 

and proof read their news commentary scripts and they 

engaged in discourse that always enlightened me. They 

all shared, willingly and insightfully, helping us in the 

newsroom to critically think about what we were reporting. 

I am indebted to them. 

It has been a rewarding journey so far. It is my prayer 

that Radio Jamaica remains steadfast on this upright 

path of building media, media professionals and our 

country for more than another 65 years to come. 

I was also guided by the professionalism of news readers 

such as Erica Allen and the late Megan Thomas who 

demonstrated a poise and skill in news reading that few 

others had. They maintained the credibility for which RJR 

News is lauded. 

Rewarding journey 

As Jennifer Grant proceeded on leave one summer, she 

recommended to Hugh Crosskill (then at the Caribbean 

News Agency) that I could fill in for her as Kingston 

correspondent for CANA. This opened my eyes to 

regionalism. Crosskill guided me in the art of writing for 

regional and international audiences. 

Barbara Gloudon and Gary Allen in dialogue 

It was an honour for me therefore, when Hugh left 

CANA for the BBC Caribbean Service in London, that I 

was successful in being the Kingston correspondent for 

the BBC. I followed Hugh’s earlier path to Barbados and 

worked for the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, CANA and 

the Caribbean Media Corporation. One high point of that 

nine-year stint was working with Hugo on the first US/ 

CARICOM Summit in Barbados when President Bill Clinton 

met the region’s leaders. 

Looking back through the years, it is clear that I owe any 

success I have to these many mentors, colleagues and 

J.A. Lester Spaulding, Michael Sharpe, Edward Seaga and Janette Mowatt 



ICONIC RJR 

PROGRAMMES 

Dulcimina 

‘Dulcimina’ – a sensation when it was inaugurated as 

the first radio drama serial (“soap opera”) using the 

Jamaican language, all Jamaican actors and Jamaican 

characters. At its height of success, the Elaine Perkins 

penned programme surpassed all others as the top 

soap on radio in Jamaica and Cyclops (who passed 

away earlier this year) and Presser Foot became family 

members of virtually all Jamaican households. 

The Continuing Story of Dr 

Paul and Portia Faces Life 

‘The Continuing Story of Dr Paul’ and ‘Portia Faces 

Life’ both ran for decades on RJR as the most popular 

foreign ‘soaps’. 

Pipeline 

‘Pipeline’ Neville Willoughby’s influential evening 

entertainment programme featured in-depth interviews 

and an informed look at Jamaican music and culture. 

Interestingly, many of these interviews have been 

released on albums, including interviews with Bob 

Marley, Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller, Stevie Wonder and 

Third World, 

BBC News At 8 

‘The World at 8’ RJR’s major evening newscast 

Alan Magnus interviewing former police commissioner 

Herman Ricketts 

The Good Morning Man Show 

‘The Good Morning Man Show’ first hosted by Desmond 

Chambers and then Neville Willoughby before current 

host Alan Magnus has outlasted all other non-news 

programmes. 

Sunday Contact 

‘Sunday Contact’ brings Jamaicans from home and 

abroad intouch with lost family members and love ones. 

Tune in to reconnect or reunite. 

The Colgate Cavity Fighters 

Club 

‘The Colgate Cavity Fighters Club’ became the model 

for the involvement of children in radio. It was hosted 

at different times by Marie Garth, Neville Willoughby 

and Pat Gooden. 


Barry G (front left) 

Afternoon Radio 

‘Afternoon Radio’ with Winston ‘The Whip’ Williams, Don ‘El 

Numero Uno’ Topping, Barry ‘G’ Gordon and Richard ‘Richie 

B’ Burgess ruled the airwaves with current music, interviews, 

games and entertainment features. 

Thelma Porter, former RJR news reader 

News Commentary 

‘News Commentary’ featuring analysis from luminaries 

including Peter Abrahams, Omar Davies, Bobby Fray, David 

Ebanks, Delroy Lindsay and others was an incisive look at 

stories in the news from different perspectives. 

Beyond The Headlines 

‘Beyond The Headlines’ is a no-holds barred discussion show, 

which looks at current events and their effects on Jamaica. 

Sports Call 

‘Sports Call’ inaugurated sports talk radio with host Ed Barnes 

and has won multiple journalism awards for RJR. 

Nominees for the 2009 Sports Awards 

The RJR Sports Foundation’s National 

Sportsman and Sportswoman Of The Year 

Awards 

‘The RJR Sports Foundation’s National Sportsman and 

Sportswoman of the Year Awards’ has allowed for the continuation 

and growth of this seminal sports event which began in 1962 (for 

1961). 



Leadership 

Sets The Tone 

One of the notable 

features of the RJR 

Communications 

Group and a strong 

indication of why 

the RJR name 

remains respected 

and envied 65 years on, is its strong 

belief in continuity and promoting 

from within its own organisation. 

The list of managers and executives 

employed to the group who started as 

lowly employees is legion. 

In 65 years, there have been only four 

chairmen in charge at RJR. They are 

Douglas Judah (1950—1977), Peter 

Abrahams (1977—1979), the Reverend 

C. Evans-Bailey (1979—1994), and 

J. Lester Spaulding (1994—1997) as 

RJR Limited chairman, and again 

(1997 to the present) as RJR 

Communications Group chairman. 

Not many corporate entities 

can say the same, and certainly 

not many whose ownership is 

constitutionally required to have 

a mix of private sector groupings, 

including the church and trade 

unions. 

each served RJR for over two decades. 

Others at the managerial level 

including Paula-Ann Porter-Jones, 

Melvis Cummings and Norma Brown 

Bell have been at RJR for decades and 

announcer Alan Magnus has 44 years 

of service to the station. 

That’s the main reason why RJR 

continues to make seamless 

transitions through major changes 

and comes out better on the other 

end, while others flounder to keep 

up. The knowledge, experience and 

network of colleagues and contacts 

inside the media, the private sector 

and the public sector mean that 

RJR management is ready for any 

eventuality. However, that does 

not indicate that they are lacking 

Vision and ideas 

In 1997 when RJR acquired most of 

the holdings of JBC, Yvonne Wilks 

half-jokingly said to Chairman Lester 

Spaulding, “We have so many entities 

now that we really should be known 

as a group.” Spaulding’s response 

was immediate, “Okay, let’s do that.” 

Hence the RJR Communications 

Group! That’s the same kind of 

leadership that saw FM broadcasting 

as the future, long before it had 

become popular globally. 

That same leadership saw JBC-TV as 

an entity to be returned to its number 

one spot in Jamaica even while it 

was struggling in the mid 90s and 

transformed it into TVJ, the clear leader 

in Jamaican broadcast television. 

It is that leadership which is still 

active today, making sure that 

the RJR Communications Group’s 

presence on the internet and 

across all social media is strong, 

relevant and up-to-date and just 

recently launching 1SpotMedia, 

the first Caribbean internet and 

phone app online subscription 

service. 

It is the quality of the leadership 

which has allowed for such a 

unique situation at RJR and all 

the chairmen, excepting the Rev. 

Evans-Bailey have been media people. 

Even at the managerial level the trend 

remains the same. Senior managers 

Gary Cole, Francois St Juste, Yvonne 

Wilks-O’Grady, Stephen Greig, Patrick 

Anderson and Trevor Johnson have 

Governor General Sir Clifford Campbell officially signs a new RJR 

licence in the late 1960s as General Manager Graham Binns looks on. 

innovation or creativity. They are 

prepared to change with the times and 

act when required. Some decisions 

come from board or staff meetings, 

others arise out of necessity. 

It is that same vision and 

commitment to national 

development that led the group to 

take up the hosting of the National 

Sportsman and Sportswoman of the 

Year Awards in 2006, even though it 

would mean a financial loss for the 

company. They have since turned that 

around, re-energising the event 


LEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE 

successful shows on local television 

and a main reason why boxing here at 

home has suddenly become a major 

point of interest and investment after 

years of being ignored and neglected. 

TVJ led the entertainment revolution 

with “E.R.” (Entertainment Report) and 

made talent shows the talk of the 

nation with Digicel’s “Rising Stars”. 

The group under the leadership of 

managing director, Gary Allen is back 

in the black and defying the economic 

doldrums, which have beset the nation 

for the last decade. Young fresh talent 

is at work at RE-TV and at HITZ 92 FM 

and FAME continues to maintain its 

market relevance. 

Peter Abrahams 

and making it relevant to a global 

television audience. 

The same foresight created 

“Contender” as one of the most 

In the end it is not the trickle-down 

effect of leadership that has been the 

crucial factor. It is the steady stream 

of new ideas brought on mainly 

by staffers promoted from within 

who view themselves not only as 

Rev. C. Evans Bailey 

employees but also as part of the RJR 

family; a very hard family to leave and 

a family which once acquired is yours 

for life. 



Family 

Of Stalwarts 

By Gabrielle McDowell 

Every successful establishment needs a firm and resolute team. The RJR Communications Group (RJR) 

has been fortunate to have a determined cadre of media professionals who have remained steadfast 

over the years. Through innumerable trials, the organisation has remained a pioneer for 65 years by 

“reaching you in every way.” 

The following are comments from a few members of the “Family Of Stalwarts.” Dictated as they say 

by extremely busy schedules, other distinguished stalwarts include Donovan Dacres, Derrick Wilks, 

and Michael Bryce. 

Dionne Jackson-Miller 

Senior Producer/Presenter of Beyond 

The Headlines, RJR 94 FM and 

Presenter of All Angles, TVJ 

Dionne Jackson-Miller 

Dionne Jackson-Miller feels ecstatic 

about her endeavours through 

RJR. She recalled, “I started over 

20 years ago at RJR as a freelance 

correspondent, working out of the 

Western Bureau in Montego Bay. After 

a few months, I was named Bureau 

Chief and remained in Montego Bay 

until I moved to Kingston about 12 

years ago. “ 

“In Montego Bay, I had been part of a 

group of people from the newsroom 

who began to work on Beyond The 

Headlines which, when it started, used 

to air from 10.30 p.m. to 1 a.m. We had 

to schedule all our LIVE interviews 

for the 10.30 to 11 p.m. slot and even 

then, a lot of times, our guests would 

fall asleep on us and not answer the 

phone. Or someone would answer 

and refuse to wake the person.” 

“I remember one wife saying very 

sternly, “he’s sleeping, and I’m not 

waking him!” the late Hugh Crosskill 

encouraged the newsroom to create 

Beyond The Headlines, and he was a 

wonderful mentor to us.” 

Jackson-Miller shared that it was 

a relief to her that Crosskill moved 

the programme to drive time at 5.30 

p.m. She said, “My first co-host was 

Judith McLaughlin, who is still a good 

friend. Once we moved to Kingston, I 

was working exclusively on Beyond 

The Headlines. After a few years, 

Moya Thomas, our then Head of 

News, asked me if I was interested 

in hosting a TV current affairs 

programme that she was developing, 

called All Angles. I believe in seizing 

opportunity (the motto of my old high 

school is Carpe Diem, meaning, ‘Seize 

the Opportunity’, so I went for it, and I 

really enjoy it.” 

Jackson-Miller, who is president of the 

Press Association of Jamaica, stated: 

“I’ve had a good relationship with RJR 

and I like it here. I’ve spent almost my 

entire professional life so far at RJR. 

What I really appreciate is that the RJR 

Communications Group has so many 

possibilities for continued growth. I’ve 

certainly been able to take advantage 

of those, and I’m always looking for 

new possibilities for personal and 

professional growth.” 

“The most important thing is not to 

be afraid of exploring opportunities 

in areas outside of your comfort zone, 

otherwise you stagnate, and that can 

get boring. I can tell you I’m never 

bored!” She said, next year, all things 

being equal, will make 20 years since 

the start of Beyond The Headlines and 

10 years since All Angles was created. 


FAMILY OF STALWARTS 

I can’t believe it! It’s been great so 

far, and I hope there’s even better to 

come.” 

Paula-Ann Porter-Jones 

Broadcaster, RJR 94FM and Co-host, 

Jamaican Morning show 

Paula-Ann Porter-Jones 

Paula-Ann Porter-Jones believes 

that RJR has impacted her life. She 

declared that “The majority of my 

broadcasting career has been spent 

with the RJR Group first with FAME 

FM for 13 years and now with RJR 

94FM for the past 8 ½ years. I have 

‘grown up’ as a broadcaster with the 

station and through the assistance 

of many past and present employees 

who have provided guidance and 

training through the years. 

Some 

include Rosamond Brown, Francois St 

Juste, Roger Hamilton, Norma Brown 

Bell and Derrick Wilks.” 

Michael Sharpe 

Operations Manager, JNN 

Michael Sharpe 

Operations manager of Jamaica News 

Network (JNN), Michael Sharpe says 

he has contributed significantly to 

RJR for over 31 years. He started his 

journalistic career in 1984. A manager 

at the time, Lester Spaulding, had 

offered him the “lucky chance,” he 

said. However, it took a little more 

spiritual stimulation from a few others 

before Sharpe decided to take on the 

task at hand. His journey took him 

from radio to television. 

Sharpe states, “I started out in the 

newsroom. I was deputy news 

editor and I have done many radio 

programmes and many overseas 

assignments.” He mentions that 

RJR has definitely awarded him 

with an abundance of favourable 

circumstances during his years of 

service. He proudly comments, “31 

years is nothing to scoff at.” 

Francois St. Juste 

General Manager – Radio Services 

Francois St Juste 

“Currently, I am general manager – 

Radio Services, with responsibility 

for the radio stations: RJR, FAME 

and HITZ, the Broadcast Technicians 

department (this runs the technical 

side of outside broadcasts and all the 

recording studios) and finally, I am in 

charge of the record library. 

“I joined RJR through FAME FM in 1984 

as an announcer. I was just completing 

my Bachelor of Science Degree in 

Physics at the University of the West 

Indies. In 1987, I became supervisor 

of the FAME staff. In 1991, I was 

promoted to assistant programmes 

manager. In 1996, I was programmes 

manager/executive producer of FAME 

FM. In 2007, I was general manager 

of Radio (RJR, FAME and HITZ). Since 

2012, I have been hosting the Saturday 

morning programme on RJR. 

“My journey at RJR has greatly 

impacted my life experience. I was 

allowed to grow in a profession where 

I focused on my hobby and passion, 

music and entertainment. This has 

allowed me to immerse myself in all 

aspects of this industry, locally and 

internationally, as well as participate 

in the growth and transformation of 

the industry through radio.” 

Patrick Anderson 

Group Head of Sports, RJR 

Patrick Anderson 

Patrick Anderson is currently the 

Group Head of Sports at RJR. He says, 

“My journey through RJR began on 

Monday December 7, 1987. I was hired 

by programmes director, Don Topping, 

after being recruited by Ed Barnes. 

It was a crucial time in my fledgling 

career. I sought advice about the 

move from the then JBC to RJR, and the 

overwhelming advice was not to leave 

television for radio because television 

has more scope and offered greater 

opportunities. However, maybe I did 

not get that memo, because I was 


FAMILY OF STALWARTS 

not interested in television per se, to 

appear on television, but to engage 

television and media in general, to 

bring sports to the people…a lot of 

sports. 

“While JBC did obviously air sports, in 

my mind it was not enough. Outside 

of the major events such as World Cup 

Football finals and the Olympic Games 

– which each occurred every four years 

– there was a drought in between and 

it didn’t appear to me there was a plan 

to cover Jamaica’s basketball leagues, 

the premier league, the major league, 

netball, swimming or the extensive 

portfolio of sports covered LIVE on 

radio by RJR. 

“Remember in 1987, there was one 

television station in Jamaica. So my 

move was to get into the trenches to 

cover sports, and I have no regrets. I 

have thoroughly and still enjoy highly, 

the LIVE coverage of sporting events. 

And when our job is done, I wish that 

the public will say ‘yes,’ they enjoyed 

the coverage and we made them feel 

like they were there. That is what 

drove me then, and still drives me 

today.” 

Patrick Anderson says that “RJR is 

like a university. You meet folks from 

every background and all kinds and 

different types of experiences and 

skills sets. My advice for any young 

journalist is to come and work at RJR, 

soak up all the experience you can, 

because it will prepare you fully for a 

successful ride in life.” 

Earl Moxam 

Special Assignments Editor 

“My formal position is Special 

Assignments Editor. In practical terms, 

I perform a range of functions which 

do not necessarily fall under that job 

description. Much of my working day 

(and night) is currently spent providing 

oversight for the news website: www. 

rjrnewsonline.com 

“I host the weekly news review show, 

Earl Moxam 

That’s a Rap, which airs on RJR 94 FM 

on Sundays, at 12:15 p.m. 

“On Monday mornings (on Smile 

Jamaica), I do The International Week 

that Was an analysis of some of 

the major international stories that 

made the news the previous week. In 

addition, I do various news stories and 

features for both radio and television 

and share in the hosting of our coverage 

of special events. My availability to 

do these stories/features has been 

significantly constrained over the last 

two years, however, because of my 

online commitments.” 

Gerry McDaniel, 

Host of Palav 

As a broadcaster, Gerry McDaniel 

is the charming voice behind 

Palav, the delightful Sunday 

afternoon programme focused 

on a casual conversation with 

intriguing personalities. 

A career in broadcasting was 

also fed by his various interests, 

including the performing arts. 

McDaniel credits Marguerite 

Newland and other members 

of the JBC Radio Central family 

for his growth as a broadcaster 

and for his general professional 

development. 

McDaniel took night programmes 

on radio while he had his full time 

day jobs. He even redefined 

one nightly programme, By 

Candlelight due to the easy listening it 

offered and the ambiance he created. 

A few words from Jamaica’s national 

anthem inspired the creation of Palav. 

“Teach us true respect for all.” 

McDaniel sought to promote respect 

through knowledge. This became the 

basis of the show. Palav, now in its 11th 

year, has had what McDaniel refers 

to as “intriguing” guests. He credits 

interviews with Jah Cure, Yvonne 

McCalla Sobers and Edward Seaga 

as just some of the personalities that 

joined him for the Sunday afternoon 

conversations. 

“On Palav you get to see multiple 

dimensions of these people. We see 

them portrayed one way in the news 

for example, but in having this casual 

conversation you get to hear about a 

whole person; the likes, dislikes, goals, 

challenges and the life lessons that 

each has experienced. People can’t be 

reduced to soundbytes. Palav allows 

listeners and me included, to see a 

variety of people through a different 

lens and to understand difference.” 

Gerry McDaniel 


His positive influencers in his broadcasting career 

include Dorraine Samuels, who he referred to with great 

fondness. “Ralston Mckenzie was also remarkable. He 

was calm and gave his heart to the job at all times.” 

In addition to his role of leading development support 

communication at the World Bank, McDaniel has 

added teaching to his list of accomplishments as he 

inspires young minds at the University of the West 

Indies through the Caribbean Institute of Media and 

Communication. He spearheaded communication and 

outreach at Jamaica Foundation for Life-long Learning 

and has added his media and communication acumen 

to the tourism and health sectors. 


RJR & THE NEWS 

RJR 94-FM is Jamaica’s first and primary source of 

news. Scientific surveys confirm this unmistakable 

fact. For six decades, RJR has covered every major 

news story at home and overseas keeping Jamaicans 

informed. Here is a taste of some of the major news 

stories which RJR has championed over the past 

60 years 

RJR Election Coverage 1972: Seated around the news room table in conversation, 

left to right are Paul Miller, Dwight Whylie, Peter Abrahams and Frank Hill. 

August 17, 1951: Hurricane Charlie roars across Jamaica, 

causing 132 deaths, leaving tens of thousands homeless 

and precipitating widespread devastation. Radio Jamaica’s 

transmitter at Tinson Pen is damaged. The engineering 

team works tirelessly to have the station back on air on 

the provisionally by the 19th, with full service restored the 

following day. 

September 19, 1961: A referendum on the issue of Jamaica 

remaining in or leaving the West Indian Federation results 

in a rejection of Federation. Then Premier, Norman Manley, 

calls a General Election, and is defeated by the JLP under 

Alexander Bustamante. 

August 6, 1962: Jamaica is declared Independent from 

Great Britain. A huge crowd gathered at the National 

Stadium to witness the lowering of the Union Jack and the 

raising of the Jamaican flag. 

Early 1963: A group of ‘Rastafarians and Black American 

militants’ engages the police in a shoot-out in the resort 

town of Montego Bay, after the lawmen discover an arms 

cache. Seven people are killed. 

October 1963: RJR provides coverage of Tropical Storm 

Flora, which damages much of Jamaica. 

February 1, 1964: Workers at the Jamaica Broadcasting 

Corporation JBC, go on strike, seeking better wage and 

fringe benefits . The strike, one of the longest in Jamaica’s 

history, lasts until May of that year. 

In 1966: Jamaica became the first and still the only 

Caribbean country to host the prestigious Commonwealth 

Games at the National Stadium in Kingston. RJR provided 

full coverage of the Games. 

October 1966: A report carried by RJR News of an arms 

find at the Chocomo Lawn Club, in the run-up to the 1967 

General Elections, earns the ire of the ruling JLP. A writ is 

filed in court to quash all further reports on the incident. 

October 1968: The barring of Guyanese lecturer and 

intellectual, Walter Rodney, from Jamaica touches off 

violent demonstrations. Also at this time, widespread 

strikes cripple the country, with workers at the Water 

Commission, Fire Brigade, The Railway, Telephone 

Company and elsewhere walking off their jobs. The 

situation inspired the hit song, “Everyt’ing Crash” by The 

Ethiopians. 

March 2, 1972: After sweeping to victory three days earlier 

in the General Election, the PNP’s Michael Manley is sworn 

in as Prime Minister. 

June 12, 1974: Radio Jamaica’s operating licence is extended 

for a period of 12 years. “Substantial national ownership by 

1977” is included among the conditions. 

December 1976: In a year of a State of Emergency, the PNP 

under Michael Manley is returned to power. 

September 1977: Radio Jamaica officially becomes a 

Government entity. The then Caribbean representative for 

Rediffusion Limited gathers members of the management 

team in the company’s boardroom to announce the deal. 

July 1980: Hurricane Allen skirts the northeast coast, 

causing significant damage to crops (particularly banana) 

and to facilities, such as the RJR transmitters at Galina in 

St. Mary, and Cooper’s Hill in St. Andrew. 

October 30, 1980: A violent, lengthy and bloody election 

campaign (over 800 dead) culminates in the General 

Election won by the Jamaica Labour Party with Edward 

Seaga being sworn in as Prime Minister. RJR reporters 

are, for the first time, forced to travel in unmarked vehicles 

because of threats and accusations pointed at the media 

house for its coverage. 


May 11, 1981: Montego Bay is declared a city. Also reggae 

king Bob Marley died in Florida and is buried in Jamaica. 

April 11, 1985: The former Eventide Home is destroyed by 

fire, re-opens later as the Golden Age Home. A fund-raising 

drive launched after the fire by RJR contributes $400,000 

towards the rebuilding and refurbishing of the home. RJR 

becomes the first private sector group to adopt a cluster at 

the new home. 

November 29, 1987: Planned Presidential Elections in 

Haiti are aborted, as a military junta tightens its grip on 

the country. Radio Jamaica provides daily updates leading 

up to the election date, as well as a special live edition of 

“Exposure” on the day. The coverage earns the Theodore 

Sealy Award for News Reporting in the Press Association 

of Jamaica Annual Journalism Awards. 

April 1988: In the continuing divestment of Government 

holdings in RJR, employees take up 279,000 “C” shares on 

offer. Under recently instituted changes in the company’s 

Articles of Association, individual staffers are allowed to 

hold up to 4% of the “C” stock. 

September 12, 1988: Hurricane Gilbert, one of the most 

devastating hurricanes (the first direct hit by a hurricane 

on the island since Charlie in 1951); it rips through Jamaica, 

destroying buildings and equipment, felling trees and 

agricultural crops, and leaving 43 Jamaicans dead in its 

wake. 

March 30, 1992: Michael Manley steps down as Prime 

Minister due to ill health and P.J. Patterson becomes 

Jamaica’s sixth Prime Minister. The following year, 

Patterson leads the PNP to electoral victory and follows 

that with election wins in 1997 and 2002, the best electionwinning 

record of any Jamaican Prime Minister. 

January 1993: On the eve of the anniversary of the 1907 

quake, a 5.1 (Richter scale) tremor hits parts of Kingston 

and St. Catherine. The news team, each headed to other 

assignments, hastily regroups to provide coverage of the 

quake and its aftermath. 

November 1997: A draw at home against Mexico caps a 

fairytale Qualification run for the Reggae Boyz World Cup 

football team, setting off national and worldwide euphoria 

among Jamaicans. The Reggae Boyz becomes the first 

English-speaking Caribbean team to play in the World 

Cup in France in 1998. 

December 1997: The PNP, under P.J. Patterson, wins its third 

term of office in General Elections marred by controversy 

over the voters’ list and concerns over electoral fraud. 

October 16, 2002: The PNP wins an historic fourth 

consecutive term in office in the General Election. 

September 2004: Hurricane Ivan results in widespread 

damage across Jamaica. 

March 2006: Portia Simpson Miller became the first 

female president of the People’s National Party and 

the first female Prime Minister of Jamaica following the 

retirement of P.J. Patterson. She is Jamaica’s 7th Prime 

Minister since independence. 

September 2007: Bruce Golding becomes Jamaica’s 8th 

Prime Minister since independence, leading the Jamaica 

Labour Party to its first victory in a General Election since 

1989. 

January 2010: A massive earthquake in Haiti leaves 

250,000 people dead and millions homeless. 

May 2010: Security forces storm Tivoli Gardens in West 

Kingston to execute an arrest warrant for Christopher 

“Dudus” Coke who is wanted in the United States on drug 

trafficking charges. The operation results in the death 

of over 74 civilians and several members of the security 

forces as Prime Minister Bruce Golding declares a limited 

state of emergency. 

RJR News team hard at work on General Election coverage 



Dorraine Samuels has 

always liked listening to 

the news, not so much for 

the content as the delivery, 

as she loved to hear the 

news being read: crisply, 

clearly and with a full understanding of its 

importance. She recalls that Erica Allen 

was a particular favourite 

because of her outstanding 

delivery. Radio in general was 

important to the St Hugh’s 

High School student, but not 

overly so. Mostly she enjoyed 

the music and listening to the 

newscasts. 

More important at that point 

in her life was the drama 

training she received at St 

Hugh’s, which she credits 

with developing her ability 

to interact with people 

and remaining calm and professional 

regardless of the circumstances. Samuels 

was also big into music being a very 

proficient singer, pianist, guitarist and 

violinist. 

In 1980, the multi-faceted Samuels 

entered the Miss Jamaica World pageant. 

As part of the process the finalists visited 

RJR to record statements, which were 

used during the live coronation pageant. 

Dorraine already had some experience 

in public speaking, including offering the 

Vote of Thanks at the school’s 

graduation exercise. 

After recording her statement, she 

was asked to do it again. A puzzled 

and slightly nervous Samuels 

asked what was wrong and was 

told “Nothing. We just would like 

you to do it again.” She read the 

statement again and looked up 

to see a much larger audience in 

attendance. To her surprise and 

consternation she was asked to 

read the statement a third time. 

Dorraine complied and found on 

completion that the audience had 

grown even larger. 

At that point she was asked if 

she had ever thought of going 

into radio. She laughed off the 

suggestion answering with a firm 

“no.” But they were persistent and 

asked her to come into the studio 

to do an audition. Dorraine said 

she would, after the coronation 

show, not expecting things to go 

any further. 

On the night of the coronation 

show Samuels was being 

interviewed by Neville Willoughby, 

who said, “I understand that you 

speak as well as you sing” and Dorraine 

responded with a crisp “That’s correct.” 

The crowd went wild, effectively ending 

the interview right there as the rest could 

not be heard over the cheers and clamour. 

Clearly they agreed that she spoke very 

well. 

I also dressed the part. It’s a matter of 

pride. I firmly believe that pride in the 

product and proper training should be a 

must for all radio announcers 

RJR quickly called her in for an interview 

which was conducted by Winston Ridgard. 

Two weeks later she was asked to come 

in for another interview, this time with 

Ralston McKenzie. Then the phone rang 

for the third time, but this time to ask when 

she could start. Samuels’ response was: 

“Start what?” Start working at RJR as an 

announcer, was the quick response. As a 

result Dorraine Samuels joined the staff of 

RJR in January 1981. 

Outstanding synergy 

Dorraine Samuels’ first assignment after 

training was on the “Sunday Magazine” 

programme, after which she moved to 

“Jamaica Today” which followed the “Good 

Morning Man” show. “Jamaica Today” also 

allowed her to read the news for the first 

time on-air as there was a newscast in the 

programme. 

In 1984, Samuels and Alan Magnus (host 

of the “Good Morning Man” Show) began 

to have short chit-chats as Magnus 

handed over the microphone to Samuels 

who followed him on-air. Their synergy 

was outstanding from the onset and 

eventually that chit-chat developed into 

minutes of spontaneous banter between 

the two hosts. The unofficial segment 

became hugely popular with listeners to 

the point where, on the rare occasions 

when their interaction was shortened or 

absent, many would call in asking why 

they had quarreled and advising them to 

make up. 

RJR realised they had a winner on their 

hands and asked Samuels to join Magnus 

after the 7 a.m. news in the mornings, in 

effect merging the two shows to create 

The “Good Morning Jamaica” show, which 

continued until “Hot Line” began. That 

partnership lasted for two decades and 

was responsible for some of the most 

memorable moments on-air for RJR. 

Eventually in 2004, Dorraine was asked 

to read TVJ’s evening newscast as she 

became firmly settled as the news voice of 

RJR and of Jamaican news broadcasting. 

She also did “Newsline 5” and 

the midday news, the three 

being the most important 

newscasts of the day. 

Treasured experiences 

For Dorraine, RJR has been 

many things. “It has been 

business. It has been family. 

It has afforded me the 

opportunity to meet a wide 

cross-section of people. It 

allowed me the chance for 

a lot of travelling. In the process I have 

become a de facto counsellor, marriage 

counsellor, child psychologist and friend 

to thousands of listeners.” 

People would sometimes call Dorraine 

when in a suicidal stupor, saying that 

although they had never met her they 

consider her their friend and adding, “I 

want to talk to you about this, [OR] I want 

you to be the last person I talk to.” 


contacts with resource persons in a 

wide range of areas and does not have 

difficulty in guiding callers in the right 

direction. Her years of experience have 

honed that knowledge base. “When 

I just came staffers would say, I have 

been here 10 years [OR] 19 years and I 

said you must be mad. Now I’m here 34 

years.” 

Among her most treasured experiences, 

Samuels tells of a broadcast trip to 

Bermuda during Jamaica’s independence 

celebrations. “It was a huge fair and 

arriving I saw hundreds of people clad in 

black green and gold. Jamaican music 

was playing and Jamaican cuisine was 

wafting its fragrance all 

over the grounds. It was an 

awesome feeling and I was 

filled with pride that this 

could happen, OUTSIDE 

Jamaica.” 

hand. 

Samuels wants broadcast standards for 

announcers maintained. “Don Topping 

gave me extensive training for three 

months before I went on-air and I was 

prepared with diction, pronunciation and 

delivery. I also dressed the part. It’s a 

matter of pride. I firmly believe that pride 

in the product and proper training should 

be a must for all radio announcers.” 

Dorraine and Alan on air 

“One memorable day we had a caller on 

the family counsellor segment of Jamaica 

Today and the caller said he had committed 

a rape and wanted to come clean and he in 

fact did,” Samuels recalled. 

Samuels has developed extensive 

During her time at RJR she 

covered the visits of many 

dignitaries and celebrities, 

including Neslon Mandela 

and the Pope, but regrets 

never having personally met 

Mandela or been given the 

opportunity to shake US 

President Barack Obama’s 

Dorraine Samuels (second left) Alan Magnus, Amina Blackwood 

Meeks (second right) and the late Bagga Brown (right) 


The Dean 

of Morning Radio 

Alan Magnus came to radio by an unorthodox 

route. Working at the Telephone Company 

in 1971 he met up with a friend from the 

newsroom at RJR for a drink and was making 

selections from the juke box and talking 

about the artistes and music. His friend was 

impressed with his knowledge and selection and suggested 

that he (Alan) should be working at RJR. He offered to get 

Alan an audition, which Alan agreed, expecting never to 

hear from him about it again. Two weeks later the call came 

for him to come in and audition and the rest is radio history. 

Alan Magnus — 44 years at RJR 

Magnus and Samuels worked together for two decades 

Magnus was already quite familiar 

with RJR having on many occasions 

been a performer (with his singing 

group) on Vere John’s “Opportunity 

Knocks”. Later he would record a hit 

single, Flying Machine. So he was 

comfortable with the idea of working 

there, although quite apprehensive 

about working with 

established radio 

jocks such as Winston 

Williams, Marie Garth 

and Don Topping. 

Alan started at RJR in 

April 1971, insisting that 

he only intended to 

work at RJR for a year 

before returning to the 

Telephone Company, 

however, that became 

five years and it’s now 

44 years. The first 

year Alan was moved 

from time-slot to timeslot, 

learning the ins 

and outs of radio at 

different times of the 

day and for different 

target audiences. It was 

an amazing experience 

for the young announcer, as he 

rubbed shoulders with many of the 

pioneers of radio, such as Tony Verity, 

Charlie Babcock, Dottie Dean, and the 

incomparable newsreader, Erica Allen. 

The only constant 

A year later Neville Willoughby was 

scheduled for a one-month vacation 

from “The Good Morning Man” show 

and Alan was asked to fill in. He 

agreed reluctantly, as he regarded 

this show as the premier show on 

Jamaican radio and was not sure he 

was yet ready for that level of exposure 

and did not want “to spoil Neville’s 

show.” The month went well and was 

extended for a further two weeks, as 

Willoughby extended his vacation. 

Nearing the end of that time Magnus 

saw Willoughby and asked him when 

he was returning? Willoughby replied 

that he was not returning to morning 

radio, as he was preparing to launch 

his own evening show, “Pipeline”. 

Subsequently, Winston Ridgard asked 

Alan to take over the programme and 

he has been its host ever since. 

Originally it was a six-day a week 

programme, but in the mid-80s a 

decision was made to bring in Dorraine 

Samuels as co-host and move to 

weekdays only. Magnus and Samuels 


ALAN MAGNUS 44 YEARS OF RADIO 

worked together for 

two decades before 

the show reverted to 

the one man format in 

2006. 

During the 43 years 

that Alan has been 

on air on the “Good 

Morning Man” show, 

the media landscape 

has been transformed. 

Alan and his wife of decades Kerry Magnus 

AM transitioned to 

FM; RJR became a 

group. Almost every scheduled programme was revamped, cancelled or 

modernised. 

The only constant, outside the news, has been Alan Magnus in the 

morning. The list of announcers who have come and gone (some to 

return) has read like a who’s who of Jamaican broadcasting, but the one 

man who has never gone away (for any noticeable length of time) has been Alan Magnus. 

Alan Magnus, Dorraine Samuels and Simon Crosskill in 

their youthful days 

Now there may be outside broadcasts from locations like London, the USA and many places around Jamaica, but at 5 

a.m. Alan Magnus will be on air… every morning… five days a week. He is truly the Dean of morning radio. 


Did You Know? 

They served too! 

Some of Jamaica’s most celebrated personalities have served on the 

RJR Board over the years. 

The late Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverly, OM, 

OJ, MBE (Miss Lou) served for almost five 

years (October 1977 – June 1980). Miss 

Lou is the iconic Jamaican cultural, literary, 

dramatic and folk hero. 

The Rt Rev Bishop Neville deSousa, OJ, 

served for three years (June 1977 – June 

1980). Rev deSousa was Suffragan Bishop 

of Montego Bay from 1973 to 1979 and 

Anglican Bishop of Jamaica from 1979 to 

2000. 

Owen K. Melhado (O.K.) served for less 

than three years (September 1977 – June 

1980). Mr Melhado is a retired captain of 

industry who served at the helm of D&G 

and Air Jamaica, on the boards of various 

public and private sector entities and as an 

administrator at Jamaica House. 

Maxine Henry-Wilson served from June 

1980 to January 1981. Mrs Henry-Wilson is 

a former Minister of Education, Youth and 

Culture, and executive of the PNP. She is 

currently the executive director and chief 

executive officer of the Jamaica Tertiary 

Education Commission. 

Richard Small served for six months (June 

1980 to December 1980). Mr. Small is one 

of Jamaica’s most feared and respected 

attorneys, in many high profile cases. 

Derrick Smith served for eight months (April 

1981 to December 1981). Mr. Smith, an MP, 

is the leader of Opposition Business in the 

House of Representatives. He is also the 

opposition spokesman on National Security 

and a longstanding executive of the JLP. 

Troy Caine served for almost two years from 

December 1981 to November 1983. Mr Caine 

is a graphics consultant, designer, artist, 

calligrapher, writer, researcher, political 

analyst and historian who is an executive 

member of the JLP. 

Neville James served for almost three years 

from May 1982 to February 1985. Mr. James 

is the former managing director of Island 

Broadcasting Limited (KLAS FM). He served 

for many years as a radio commentator 

and business executive and has had a 

distinguished career in media. 

Olivia “Babsy” Grange, MP, served for twelve 

months from November 1983 to January 

1984. Ms. Grange is a record producer 

and politician who has held ministerial 

responsibilities for Information, Culture, 

Gender Affairs and Sports and is a respected 

executive of the JLP. 

Audley Shaw, MP, served for almost seven 

and a half years from February 1982 to July 

1989. Mr. Shaw is a seasoned politician who 

has served as Minister of Finance and the 

Public Service, in the Senate and as general 

secretary and deputy leader of the JLP. 

Delroy Lindsay served for eleven months 

from October 1987 to September 1988. A 

banker, Delroy Lindsay headed the Workers 

Bank and the Corporate Group and was a 

founding partner in the Jamaica Observer. 

Peter John Thwaites served for over a year 

from October 1989 to November 1990. Mr 

Thwaites is the chairman of “Crime Stop, a 

director of Seprod and has served the PSOJ 

and the JDF. 

Sandra Minott-Phillips, QC, served for over 

two years from August 1989 to December 

1991. Mrs. Minott-Phillips is a highly 

respected lawyer, author and long-standing 

member of the Council of the Jamaican Bar 

Association. 


Richard “Richie B” Burgess interviews dancehall artiste Shabba Ranks 

R&B star James Ingram signs autograph for fans including Norma Brown Bell (right) 

and Elise Kelly (left) 

RJR’s contribution 

to the development of Jamaican Music 

The history of Jamaican music cannot be separated from the history of Jamaican 

radio and for over a decade that history belonged wholly and solely to RJR. 

Although broadcasting began 

primarily as a “news” outlet, 

it soon became evident 

that there was a great 

demand for entertainment 

programmes, especially programming on 

music and drama. In the era pre-dating 

the development of the Jamaican studio 

system it was RJR which offered the 

opportunity to do “wire” recordings. 

Numbers of Jamaicans took the station 

up on that offer and many local recordings 

were made at RJR. However, except as a 

spur to the ‘concept of recording itself’ 

these recordings were not seminal to the 

development of Jamaican music. That 

love for music and the spur to create came 

in large part with the advent of Redifussion 

in 1951. 

Redifussion was in effect radio being 

transmitted by wire to a special unit in 

homes, offices or any other place where 

a subscriber paid for the service (3 pence 

a day) and it introduced a unique twist 

to Jamaican radio. After sign-off every 

evening, RJR would transmit uninterrupted 

music programming throughout the night. 

This innovation created two important 

phenomena. 

Firstly, it expanded the audience for 

music of all types all around the island 

and inspired many Jamaicans to consider 

music as a profession. Secondly, it offered 

an outlet for local music, which had 

not existed before. As with drama, this 

included many live programmes offered 

daily or weekly. 

Among the popular shows of the day 

which showcased music of various types 

were: the Archie Lindo and Hugh Wilson 

produced “Talent Parade” LIVE from the 

Carib cinema and hosted by Karl Magnus; 

and programmes hosted by pioneering 

radio announcers Marie Garth, Adrian 

Robinson, Tony Verity, Roy Reid, Radcliffe 

Butler and Dottie Dean (Dorothy La Croix). 

The musical range of these programmes 

was extraordinary and perhaps unmatched 

anywhere else in the world. 

All in all, it is 

doubtful whether 

Jamaican music 

could have developed 

or thrived without 

the power of radio 

and without the 

pioneering role played 

by RJR in making 

music an essential for 

virtually the entire 

Jamaican population. 

Influential exposure 

Jamaica sat in an ideal position to be 

exposed to all forms of Western music. 

The British had brought us classical music 

and various forms of popular music. From 

America, our next door neighbours and 

from which many powerful AM stations 

could be heard, we adopted Southern 

Blues, jump blues, swing, jazz and bee bop 

as well as country and western and a slew 

of gospel styles from Mahalia Jackson to 

Jim Reeves. 

From Cuba, the Dominican Republic and 

mainland Latin America we absorbed the 

Latin stylings of greats such as Dámaso 

Pérez Prado, Xavier Cugat and a host 

of others playing rhythms including the 

Bolero, the Danzon, the Rumba, the Mambo, 

the Merengue, the Samba, and later forms 

including the Cha-cha-cha, Salsa and the 

Bossa Nova. From the Eastern Caribbean 

we had Calypso and Zouk. Many of the 

biggest Calypso hits were in fact recorded 

in Jamaica and had their first airplay here, 

as artistes such as The Mighty Sparrow 

and Lord Kitchener regularly made the trek 

to Jamaican studios. 

The importance of our exposure to these 

music forms cannot be understated. 

Jamaicans developed a very catholic taste 

in music and the fare at local hotels and 

LIVE music venues was heavily influenced 

by this mixture. LIVE instrumental groups 

played a variety of styles, while singers 

were heavily influenced by the Black 

sounds coming out of the America south 

(artistes such as Fats Domino and Louis 

Jordan). 


RJR AND JAMAICAN MUSIC 

Francois St Juste interviews singer Judy Mowatt 

R&B legend Jeffrey Osborne in the RJR studio 

This background later translated into a 

tendency to produce local music covers of 

the popular radio hits of the day: Skatalites, 

“Guns of Navarone” or “Beard Man Ska”, 

and covers by Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, 

John Holt, Dennis Brown, Errol Dunkley 

and many others, who often became so 

associated with the cover singer that the 

originals were all but forgotten. 

As the 50s morphed into the 60s, more 

and more Jamaican folk music and music 

of African origins began to be exposed on 

radio. It was the heyday of the Frats Quintet 

and the fledgling “Jamaica Folk Singers”. 

Again the influence on the music was 

substantial with many songs borrowing 

from the music, lyrics or rhythmic styles of 

these traditional pieces. Also flexing her 

musical muscles was Miss Lou (Louise 

Bennett-Coverley), who re-introduced 

many folk songs, which were on the verge 

of being lost and often sang snippets of 

these songs during her LIVE and recorded 

radio programmes. 

While the main developments in Jamaican 

music were taking place in the studios and 

through the instrumentality of the sound 

systems of the day, it was a development 

that was mainly confined to Kingston and 

a few other built-up towns (Montego Bay 

and May Pen among others). It was radio 

that truly spread the gospel of ska, rock 

steady and reggae nationwide. 

Radio dominance 

It was radio, and primarily RJR, the 

dominant station of the day, that changed 

a music system that had little regard for 

record production except to supply juke 

boxes and the overseas market (especially 

Britain from the Mento days), into a nation 

where, by the 1970s, it was not unusual for 

a top hit to sell over 60,000 copies. This 

was astonishing in a country of around 

two million people. At the same time sales 

of 100,000 in Britain meant a solid chart 

hit. 

Radio had in fact popularised the music 

and became its main promoter. It also 

maintained various musical niches with 

various styles of mellow music becoming 

associated with Sunday fare, others with 

evening music, or late night music, while 

the top hits of the day were presented on 

afternoon radio. 

RJR influenced how Jamaican music was 

regarded on the world stage, as the more 

seriously it was taken as a true world 

music so too did the world become more 

interested. While Bob Marley was still 

being regarded as difficult to interview and 

hard to understand, Neville Willoughby 

conducted what is regarded as perhaps 

the most important interview with the late 

reggae superstar, on his “Pipeline” show 

on RJR. It allowed Bob to express himself 

openly in a format which was uncensored 

and with a host whom he trusted and the 

result made many media giants stand up 

and take notice. No wonder the “interview“ 

was placed on one of Bob Marley’s albums. 

At the beginning of the 1950s, radios 

were a rarity, with perhaps one or two in 

any community. That became one or 

two in any neighbourhood, then one or 

two in every street until by the beginning 

of the 1960s the transistor radio had 

taken over and radio became a person’s 

mobile device. Now your music could 

go anywhere with you. By the 1980s the 

advent of the “Ghetto Blaster” and other 

combined radio/cassette units meant that 

not only could you take your music with 

you, but you could also record it at any 

time. 

The Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose with 

Moya Thomas on a visit to RJR 

Simultaneously, the advent of FM 

broadcasting and shows dedicated to 

the music of the day, many with limited 

advertising interruptions, meant that 

every man or woman’s “ghetto blaster” 

became a LIVE mobile disco allowing radio 

music show hosts to become superstar 

“selectors.” People such as Winston “the 

Whip” Williams, Don Topping, Barry “G” 

Gordon and Richie “B” Burgess became the 

arbiters of musical. 

All in all, it is doubtful whether Jamaican 

music could have developed or thrived 

without the power of radio and without 

the pioneering role played by RJR in 

music recording and making music an 

essential for virtually the entire Jamaican 

population. 


An Inside Look at 

Outside Broadcasting 

BY MARK THOMPSON 

Outside Broadcast Unit at 

Caymanas Park in the days of 

wired broadcasts 

With decades of unrivalled experience 

underpinned by the savvy deployment 

of leading edge technology and an 

unwavering commitment to the highest 

standards, the RJR Communications Group 

continues to elevate the delivery of outside 

broadcasting services in the local and 

regional electronic media landscape. 

The media giant has established a strong 

reputation for surpassing expectations in 

its execution of outside broadcasts (OBs), 

which are generally defined as television 

or radio programmes produced away from 

a purpose-built studio. An OB is typically 

used to broadcast live events such as 

marketing/promotional activities, sports, 

festivals and breaking news. 

Francois St. Juste, the RJR Communications 

Group’s general manager for radio services, 

noted that the media entity has mounted 

successful OBs in a variety of locations 

across town, in rural areas and across the 

globe. When he curiously added above 

the earth as an OB location, it immediately 

begged an explanation, which he readily 

provided. 

“We did a very special OB from a balloon 

that was a couple hundred feet in the air. 

I was actually a part of that in the early 

days of FAME FM. The main point that 

I’m making is that we can do an outside 

broadcast from anywhere once we can 

have a signal connection.” 


The early years 

In the decade of the 1970s, despite 

the many advances in technology, 

broadcasting was still a rugged frontier 

in many respects. Leon Lyons, who 

worked with RJR from 1971 to 2009 

in areas such as studio engineering, 

information technology and technical 

systems administration, can recall a 

time when OBs were far from easy to 

execute. He described an early era 

when the desire to broadcast from 

locations of varying distances outside 

the studio was constrained by the 

technology of the day. 

“The technology was pretty simple 

back then and we had our fair share of 

challenges. A lot of things remain the 

same in terms of production, but it is 

really the improvement in technology 

for transmission and better quality 

equipment that is really making the 

difference today,” Lyons stated. 

The use of Very High Frequency (VHF) 

transmission links in the 1970s initially 

confined OBs to locations around 

town, as the technology was primarily 

suited for short-distance terrestrial 

communication. Lyons explained 

that for a horseracing radio OB from 

Caymanas Park, a technical operator 

would have to travel to the location in 

a special van equipped with a studio 

link transmitter with a telescopic 

antenna. 

“Because the process was so 

cumbersome, we had to be on location 

hours ahead of the actual broadcast 

time to set up cables and run studio 

tests. Transmitters could not run off 

batteries so lack of access to power 

meant no broadcast,” he said. 

Lyons pointed out that back then, RJR 

only had two transmitters available 

for OBs. After initially using the 

second transmitter as a backup, he 

noted that the decision was made 

to do two broadcasts at different 

locations on the same day in order to 

derive more revenue from sponsors/ 

clients. Sometimes the situation was 

tricky, because things could easily go 

RJR team preparing for an Outside Broadcast 

wrong.” 

The growing popularity of OBs 

pushed RJR to expand its range of 

coverage beyond Kingston, and Lyons 

explained that this step involved 

renting broadcast lines from the 

Jamaica Telephone Company (JTC). 

This process had its challenges, as it 

was also cumbersome and incurred 

expenses. In the event of inclement 

weather, the chance of getting a clear 

line was significantly diminished. 

Despite the many challenges, 

Lyons asserted that RJR was able 

to develop quality control systems 

through prudent human resource 

management, which facilitated a 

high success rate for OBs. Coupled 

with the improvements in technology 

that resulted in broadcast lines being 

superseded by telephone lines with 

compatibility to mixers, a new era was 

ushered in for outside broadcasting. 

Modern Radio OB 

St. Juste explained that today, 

radio OBs are mainly done using a 

transmitter to send the signal directly 

back to the station, or by routing 

it through a telephone line using 

Comrex broadcast equipment. 

“Those are the two main ways that 

we do it technically…we take all the 

relevant equipment to the location 

and send the signal back to the 

studio, which then rebroadcasts it out 

in the same way that we broadcast 

programming from within the 

studio. This is typical process of an 

outside broadcast for radio,” St. Juste 

explained. 

He added that with the advent of 

more modern equipment, they are 

now able to do small scale outside 

broadcasting for radio using one 

person with essentially a phone and a 

battery pack. This eschews the need 

for extensive equipment and a large 

team. 

He also spoke to the growing use of 3G 

and 4G mobile telecommunications 

technology to facilitate transmission 

from the field back to the studio, and 

mentioned the options of Integrated 

Services Digital Network (ISDN) 

lines and satellite for international 

broadcasts. 

Quality personnel 

Much of the success of an OB is 

predicated on the quality of the 

personnel involved, and according to 

St. Juste, the RJR Communications 


Crowd at FAME Road Party Outside Broadcast 

Group has a very competent cadre of 

professionals who consistently deliver 

outstanding work. These employees 

include engineers, producers and 

announcers. “We really do have very 

competent people who can deliver 

a flawless and successful outside 

broadcast,” said St. Juste. 

He described a successful OB as 

one that allows listeners and viewers 

at home to fully appreciate what is 

taking place at a location by delivering 

an immersive experience. He added 

that an OB is also considered 

successful when it meets the needs of 

a client or sponsor as it relates to the 

dissemination of specific information, 

and thoroughly engages the LIVE 

crowd in attendance at the location. 

Pioneering innovation 

While acknowledging that outside 

broadcasting has evolved over the 

years, St. Juste asserted that RJR has 

managed to stay ahead of the pack 

by riding on the crest of the wave of 

innovation. 

“I’m not really trying to brag here, but 


pretty much every innovation in radio 

and broadcasting in Jamaica has 

come from the RJR Communications 

Leon ‘Flato‘ Lyons, who worked with RJR from 

1971 to 2009 

Group. We were first on the scene, 

and by that fact, we became the most 

experienced in the market. We have 

embraced new technologies in our 

broadcasting suite, and the various 

approaches to outside broadcasting 

have, for the most part, come through 

our innovation and acceptance of 

technology,” stated St. Juste. 

St. Juste recalled some of the more 

memorable OBs that reflected RJR’s 

pioneering spirit, such as the previously 

mentioned hot air balloon adventure, a 

LIVE big band performance featuring 

Sonny Bradshaw, the longstanding 

morning traffic updates and reporting 

from Ground Zero after 9/11. In the 

case of the latter OB, RJR was the only 

Jamaican radio station that was in 

New York after the calamity. 

Reflecting on RJR’s stellar record, St. 

Juste commented that while executing 

successful OBs has largely become 

routine, the media entity is constantly 

striving to raise the bar and exceed 

expectations. 

“We continue to be the innovators 

in outside broadcasting. It is a lot of 

hard work, and we remain committed 

to surmounting all the challenges. We 

pride ourselves on not only being the 

nation’s station, but also on being a 

global station with people and places 

all over the world.” 


Engineering the future 

of broadcasting in Jamaica 

BY MARK THOMPSON 

Engineers Melvis Cummings (left) Albert Williams and Neville Fung 

The crisp, clear audio flowing 

from radios locked on RJR 94FM, 

FAME 95FM and HITZ 92FM and 

the excellent picture and sound 

quality on television sets tuned 

in to Television Jamaica (TVJ), Reggae 

Entertainment Television (RETV), TVJ 

Sports Network (TVJSN) and Jamaica 

News Network (JNN) represent broadcast 

engineering at its best at the RJR 


The media giant has established a solid 

reputation for maintaining consistent 

service delivery at the highest standards 

across all its brands. Much of this 

success can be attributed to the team 

of experienced broadcast engineers and 

professionals who are committed to 

delivering optimum viewer and listener 

experiences. 

According to Melvis Cummings, chief 

engineer in charge of operations at the 

RJR Communications Group, the core 

function of the engineering department 

is to provide technical expertise for the 

delivery of signals based on international 

standards. 

“Broadcast engineering is about 

operating and maintaining the equipment 

used in television and radio broadcasts. 

We ensure that the broadcast signal and 

the equipment and systems responsible 

for sending it are in excellent condition,” 

stated Cummings. 

Elaborating on the scope of work that 

falls under the umbrella of broadcast 

engineering, Cummings noted that 

tasks also include installing and testing 

new facilities and equipment, outside 

broadcasting, troubleshooting technical 

faults, and mitigating the loss of service 

due to equipment failure by quickly 

implementing solutions. He noted that 

it was also important for broadcast 

engineers to keep abreast of the constant 

changes in technology in the industry, 

while adding Information Technology (IT) 

competences to their skill set. 

“We constantly strive to make our system 

more efficient, and we try to utilise the 

appropriate new technology to deliver the 

strongest and clearest signal in the most 

cost effective way. That is very important, 

so we try to stay ahead of the curve and 

on a platform that allows us to always be 

ready for change.” 

IT-based platform 

Addressing the transmission process at 

RJR, Cummings explained that a digital 

system is used, which is converted to 

analogue at the backend. The media 

entity has 14 transmitter sites across 

Jamaica, with TV and radio being 

amalgamated at certain locations 

“The daily operations of our system here 

is all IT-based on a computer platform. 

In our subsystem, we use studio to 

transmitter links for radio, but we also 

have the option of using an IT-based 

medium to deliver the signal. We have 

a radio unit that talks over IP [Internet 

Protocol] by using an IP address. Then 

it talks to a different site and using that, 

we can come back in to the studio. That 

is how we do some of our broadcasts 

for TV. We shoot to a site and all we do 

is patch it back straight to here,” stated 

Cummings. 

He explained that once a signal is taken 

from studio, it goes to the IT-based system 

in the technical core, and from there an IT 

protocol transmission for the microwave 

system is used to hit two different sites at 

the same time by deploying two different 


antennae. This then transmits to other 

stations as the signal “daisy chains” 

around the country to provide broadcast 

coverage. That microwave link is part 

of the IT platform. He added that this IT 

backbone can also be used for outside 

broadcasts as an alternative to using a 

radio unit to come directly into the studio. 

Cummings noted that RJR’s IT-based 

system is among the first to be 

implemented in the Caribbean, and it 

provides the convenience of being able 

to monitor technical issues from a central 

location. 

“From here, we can look at the entire 

system and know what is happening. 

If something should go down, we can 

pinpoint where the problem is by using 

the computer system, so we have the 

management system here that allows us 

to do all of that,” he explained. 

Overcoming challenges 

In a fast paced environment where 

things can go wrong quickly, broadcast 

engineers must be prepared to take 

swift and decisive corrective action to 

ensure minimum broadcast downtime. 

Cummings noted that in pressure 

situations, it is 

important to 

prioritise things 

that will restore 

service delivery 

to viewers and 

listeners in the 

shortest possible 

time. 

“As an engineer, 

you always 

have to think 

quickly and turn 

things around 

quickly to avert 

a bad situation. 

If a transmitter is 

down in an area, we try to repair it within 

24 hours using our team of engineers 

stationed here and across the island. 

We try to position ourselves to quickly 

activate backup solutions to rectify such 

problems.” 

Old radio receivers on display at the RJR Museum 

He noted that in the age of 24-hour 

programming, the job of a broadcast 

engineer will require working odd hours 

during a 24-hour shift system. Things 

become more demanding during natural 

disasters, as the hours become even 

longer and the level of preparation 

heightens. Despite the challenges, 

Cummings indicated that he and his team 

are more than equal to the task. 

“We do have challenges, but we accept 

that this is the nature of the business. It’s 

a test of the mettle you are made of, and 

we always try to acquit ourselves in the 

best way possible. It can be high-stress 

at times, but we are up for the challenge. 

We strive to maintain our reputation as 

the media brand of choice for the nation, 

so we put in the hard work behind the 

scenes to ensure that our viewers and 

listeners enjoy the highest clarity and 

quality.” 



Managing 

the Magic 

You may know her as an emcee for popular shows and events. You 

may know her as one of the architects of Capitol Stereo and FAME 

FM. However, for hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans, Norma 

Brown Bell (NBB) is the voice that tells them which route to take 

and which route to avoid on their daily morning commute to work. 

Norma Brown Bell – 

Road Traffic Angel 

According to Brown Bell, this 

relationship, between herself and the 

listening public, is one of the most 

pleasing of her life. “It is the smiles 

which are the most memorable… the 

shouts of recognition, the waves. 

That is the true reward; not the salary 

but the understanding that you are 

making a difference in people’s lives, 

that you’re someone they depend on 

daily.” 

Norma Brown Bell had the background. 

Hailing from the district of Duhaney 

Pen, just two miles outside the 

capital of Morant Bay, in the parish 

of St. Thomas, though residing in 

Kingston weekdays whilst attending 

Wolmer’s Trust High School for Girls’, 

weekend trips to St. Thomas, was a 

must. However, since one had to be 

serious about studies at Wolmer’s, 

time management was essential, 

and between studies and first love 

during school, that being lawn tennis, 

listening to the radio was not really at 

the forefront. 

A series of mishaps led to Norma 

having to forego sixth form studies, 

and the decision was made to register 

in a commercial course at Durham 

College to be prepared for the working 

world, and before heading to New 

York to take up the scholarship to 

pursue a career in Broadcasting, as 

her voice tutor, Mrs. Jean Wilson, had 

predicted that a career in broadcasting 

would more than likely be the path 

that Norma would take, having been 

so active in the Drama Society and 

everything ‘speech’ at school. 

Considered by her mother to be 

too young to travel by herself and 

be alone in New York, where she 

was accepted at the Career School 

of Academy for Radio & Television 

Broadcasting in Manhattan, Norma 

successfully, landed her first and 

only other job at the Bank of Nova 

Scotia Jamaica Limited, King Street 

Branch, where she worked as a Junior 

Secretary for six years. The urge to 

get into Broadcasting grew stronger 

by mid 1971, and off she went to Career 

Academy on her way to becoming a 

broadcaster. 

Although she studied Radio & 

Television in the United States, she was 

never in doubt that it was on Jamaican 

radio that she wanted to serve, so she 

returned to Jamaica to apply for a job 

with one or the other of Jamaica’s two 

only radio stations at the time. Having 

only to submit to two radio stations, 

her first interview with the JBC had her 

application and demo tape misplaced, 

so next stop was at RJR, where she was 

interviewed by Mr. Winston Ridgard, 

then Programmes Manager, and was 

offered employment. The pioneering 

spirit still pervaded RJR at that time 

(1972) and Norma was thrown in feet 

first as the first voice on-air when 

FM transmission was introduced to 

Jamaica and its audiences. 

Morning traffic 

In 1984 she made another move, 

starting as a senior announcer on 

Capitol Stereo under programmes 

manager, Don Topping. She has the 

greatest respect for Topping who 

she regards as a creative genius. 

“Topping had just the greatest ideas; 

idea after idea!” In 1987, she was 

promoted to programmes manager 



and when she had to leave the same 

year on maternity leave, she promoted 

Francois St Juste to act on her behalf. 

In 1989 she was made programmes 

director for RJR 94 FM. 

During this time, Brown 

Bell was asked to join 

the team doing morning 

traffic reports on RJR. The 

brainchild of Hol Plummer 

and Ed Barnes, the traffic 

report was presented 

unsponsored for the first 

two years and had an 

immediate impact. 

Barnes took Brown Bell 

into training and in a short 

time she became the goto 

person when Henry 

Stennett was unavailable 

or on leave. 

She also began to present Thursday 

reports as “Girl Friday on a Thursday” 

to give a fillip to the traffic vibe. Brown 

Bell also became the voice of the 

ICWI “Road Angel” programme, which 

rewarded females who practiced safe 

driving skills during the morning traffic 

segments. 

Community outreach 

NBB was next drawn into the 

marketing field, being asked to 

obtain sponsorship for RJR sports 

programming in the 1990s. She had 

also become more and more involved 

in working with Angela Reid and 

Grace Dunn who were in charge of the 

RJR outreach programme, which grew 

after the Eventide home was burnt 

to the ground in the tragic fire, which 

took 153 lives in 1980. 

So when Norma decided that she no 

longer wanted to be an on-air disc 

jockey she went to Mr. Spaulding 

to announce her retirement but Mr. 

Spaulding, anticipating her move, had 

already made arrangements to offer 



her the post of Community Outreach 

Officer. 

Brown Bell welcomed the opportunity 

and the challenge with open arms. 

Even with this important work that 

she was doing with the Golden Age 

Home (Cluster C), The Citizens’ Advice 

Bureau (CBA) and the CBA/RJR Basic 

School (of which she is board chair), 

Brown Bell is still best known as that 

informative and alert voice of morning 

traffic. 

Like magic 

She admits that she confounds and 

amazes many of her listeners with 

her ability to swiftly describe traffic 

conditions from all around Kingston 

and all over the island while driving 

around in either the OB unit or personal 

vehicle. To many listeners it is like 

magic. Brown Bell admits 

that what really creates this 

magic is professionalism, 

attention to detail and a 

string of correspondents 

and members of the public 

who pass on valuable 

information. 

She whispers the secret 

that many reports are 

based on observations 

made the day before or 

even more previously as 

it relates to road closures, 

road work, special events, 

traffic changes, new signal 

lights or other predictable phenomena. 

NBB is proud of her record of always 

being on time for her early morning 

duties and enjoys being able to surprise 

her listeners with her whereabouts for 

her first traffic report of the day. But it 

Henry Stennett prepares for helicopter traffic report 

is not magic. It is Norma Brown Bell, 

true 100% RJR professional, and road 

angel “managing the magic”. 


HOLFORD 

‘HOL’ PLUMMER 

All the rungs 

If there is one person, outside 

Chairman J. Lester Spaulding who 

exemplifies upward mobility in RJR 

it must be Holford “Hol” Plummer. 

He has climbed the corporate ladder 

at RJR all the way to the very top. 

Plummer joined the Rediffusion 

Department as a technician in 1955 

and in 1958 was transferred to RJR 

as an operator in the Engineering 

Department, at Tinson Pen where, 

from 1966-1970, RJR’s 720AM 

transmitter was located. Hol was a 

part of the pioneering move to RJR’s 

introduction of FM services, as the 

first such station in the Caribbean to 

operate on those frequencies. 

Plummer also held the position 

as an operator in the programmes 

department. His promotion to producer 

(programmes department) in 1970 

saw him covering, along with Dotty 

Dean and Desmond Chambers, the 

historic inaugural Air Jamaica flight to 

New York in the 1970’s. He produced 

“What’s Your Grouse” (Hot Line), 

which featured Philip Jackson, as well 

as Dick Pixley and Dwight Whylie who 

have both since passed away. Hol 

became known for producing outside 

broadcasts from outside Jamaica and 

there were many notable ones. 

Plummer became the assistant 

programme director for outside 

broadcasts in 1980 and his creativity 

inspired the development of 

Jamaica’s first Traffic Reports. He also 

produced the first formatted overseas 

programme in Miami and did the 

‘Good Morning Man’ show with Alan 

Magnus in New York at the JFK airport. 

In 1989 Plummer also accompanied 

current managing director Gary Allen 

on assignment in Florida, producing 

many special reports on the ravages 

of Hurricane Andrew in South Florida 

with an emphasis on the impact of 

Jamaicans in the so called “Kingston 

21”. 

In 1989 he was appointed staff 

representative to the Board of RJR 

on which he also served in his own 

right. He was made Executive Studio 

Manager in 1997, while still on the 

Board and served in that management 

position until his retirement from 

such duties in 2006. Before retiring, 

Plummer had another pioneering 

feat to achieve when along with 

RJR and Jamaica’s First Lady of Talk 

Show Radio, Barbara Gloudon they 

broadcast Hotline LIVE from “Ground 

Zero” in New York a few days after the 

9/11 terrorist attack. 

Plummer eventually retired from the 

Board in February 2011, after serving for 

21 years and 4 months, in a company 

he had joined and served for a total of 

53 years. In its 65 years of existence, 

Hol Plummer with 53 years of service 

stands tall as the man with the longest 

service record to the company, 

to date. 


ALL THE RUNGS 

Carl Domville (left), RJR’s Board Director; Marie Garth, former announcer and Hol Plummer, former 

Board Director and Studio Manager at the 50 th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service July 9, 2000. 



Since 1950, Jamaicans have been tuning into RJR: relying on its dynamic news coverage, enjoying its 

witty programmes and embracing its on-air presenters and corporate execs as though they were part 

of their own inner circle. Over the last 65 years, RJR has rolled out new, entertaining shows and kept 

pace with changing technologies, but it’s the station’s unforgettable personalities who have really cemented 

its place as a much loved Jamaican organisation. As RJR swings into anniversary celebration mode, it’s only 

fitting that we take a look back at the people who have made it great. 

Most people know Cliff Hughes 

as the hard-hitting journalist at 

the helm of Nationwide News 

Network, but in June 1986, Cliff was a young, 

passionate trainee announcer at RJR. 

“The first time I read the 12:10 midday 

sports news, I was trembling like a leaf,” 

Cliff recalls. “I’ll never forget Dorraine 

Samuels, the main presenter at the time, 

stretching over and holding my hand. Her 

kindness that day helped me to complete 

my assignment and I will always be grateful 

to her for it,” he shares. 

Cliff would go on to work as a sports 

reporter and presenter during his four-year 

career at RJR. Since leaving the station, 

he has enjoyed stints as the director of 

television and current affairs at the now 

defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation 

(JBC) and owner of A1 Communications. 

Today, he famously serves as the head 

of programming and chief anchor at 

Nationwide News Network. 

says Franklin. “Though I considered myself 

to be a fairly welcoming person and allowed 

people to freely express themselves, the 

station taught me to be truthful. I think 

listeners really appreciated that and some 

of my most memorable moments were 

when they called to say I was doing a good 

job,” he shares. 

After leaving RJR in 2002, Franklin took up 

his current post as news director at IRIE FM 

(2002 - 2015) and continues to work as the 

publisher of North Coast Times, which he 

founded in 1995. 

----------------------------- 

----------------------------- 

Cliff Hughes 

For close to 40 years, Franklin 

McKnight has been a journalistic 

powerhouse with his informative 

and unbiased reporting. Though his career 

has gifted him with jobs at various media 

houses, it was during his time at RJR as a 

presenter for “Tell Me About It” and “Beyond 

The Headlines” that he really learned to be 

confident in sharing his beliefs. 

“RJR prepared me well for talk commentary,” 

Franklin McKnight 


at the TV station, from sports coordinator 

to anchor, and now executive producer and 

presenter for the morning show. 

---------------------------- 

Tony Scott 

Rohan Daley 

In the early 90s, well before becoming 

the face of CVM@Sunrise, Rohan Daley 

was working in the sports department 

at RJR. Alongside his co-worker, Howard 

Abrahams, Rohan was regularly sent out to 

Caymanas Track to cover the horse racing 

news. 

“Back then, I was a fun yet hardworking 

guy, and I spoke a lot, which clearly hasn’t 

changed much,” jokes Rohan. “While I was 

at RJR, I remember doing an interview and 

calling my guest the wrong name during the 

entire segment, only to realise in the end I 

had mistaken the individual for someone 

else,” he chuckles. 

Following his departure from the company 

in 1993, Rohan headed straight to CVM, 

taking a job as one of the channel’s 

presenters. He has since worn several hats 

60 | RADIO JAMAICA PIONEERS FOR SIXTY FIVE YEARS 

Chantal Hylton Tonnes 

In 1997, Chantal Hylton Tonnes joined 

RJR as the sales and marketing 

manager for the group’s newly minted 

TV station. As Jamaicans collectively 

rejected the Super Supreme name, Chantal 

set out with the team to find a new moniker 

and re-launch the brand. 

“The creative process was a nerve 

racking one and ultimately taught me the 

importance of listening to the customer,” 

notes Chantal. “We realised people didn’t 

embrace the name because it didn’t 

reflect the national pride tied up with JBC. 

We toyed around with different options 

and eventually it came down to Jamaica 

Television or Television Jamaica,” she 

explains. 

After a short stint as a group manager 

for special projects, Chantal moved on 

from RJR, working in marketing and sales 

at CVM and then the Jamaica Observer, 

before being named the general manager 

at Nationwide News Network. Today, she 

heads the Creative Production and Training 

Centre (CPTC), sits on the marketing 

committee for the Jamaica Stock Exchange 

e-Campus and serves as the director of the 

Sagicor Foundation. 

----------------------------- 

Working as a freelance broadcaster 

from the mid-70s to the late 90s, 

Tony Scott started out as a news 

reader at RJR and later tackled presenting 

duties for the wildly successful Sunday 

MorningSolid Gold on FAME. 

“I’ve always been reserved but when I’m 

on air, it’s show time and I’m performing,” 

reveals Tony. “When I was doing the 

programme, I was very enthusiastic and 

even forceful but in my normal life, I’m 

totally different. Regular me is a laid 

back, shy guy; it’s as though I have split 

personalities,” he shares. 

Although he spent 15 years living abroad, 

Tony has managed to build an impressive 

resume in the local advertising sector. 

With top jobs at Dunlop Corbin and 

CGR Communications, he’s handled big 

accounts and even worked alongside 

Yvonne Wilks to create the TVJ logo. 

Nowadays, Tony is a partner and director at 

Prism Communications, where he overseas 

business development and management. 

----------------------------- 

In 1951, the smooth, resonant voice 

of a young Merrick Needham hit the 

Jamaican airwaves. After originally 

joining RJR as an assistant librarian, Merrick 

became an announcer at just 18 years of 

age, and was promoted numerous times 

before eventually landing the programmes 

director post within five short years. 

“I truly enjoyed being a part of an efficient 

and deservedly popular radio station,” says 

Merrick. “During my time at RJR, I had 

several memorable moments and learned 

the importance of product, professionalism 

and time,” he reveals.

Merrick Needham 

After RJR, Merrick joined the Jamaica 

Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) as the 

director of programmes and production, 

and was later named general manager at 

the station. A career shift to logistics and 

protocol, led to appointments as head of 

the Broadcasting Liaison Unit for the 1966 

Commonwealth Games in Kingston and 

coordinator for state visits of President 

Fidel Castro, Prince Albert of Monaco, and 

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. Since 

1986, he has been the principal of his 

company, Merrick Needham & Associates, 

and is widely regarded as the preeminent 

expert on protocol. 

Before landing his hosting gig on 

DigicelSportsmax, an always calm 

yet jovial Lance Whittaker called 

RJR his work base for more than a decade. 

Initially starting out as a sports reporter, 

Lance was later promoted and became the 

assistant programme director of sports. 

“I enjoyed the thrill of having my dream job, 

it was satisfying being in an environment 

that was both welcoming and professional,” 

Lance reveals. “When I eventually resigned, 

I received so many moving phone calls from 

the moment I came off air, and my emotions 

were immeasurable,” he reminisces. 

Following his departure from RJR, Lance 

traded in Jamaica for Barbados, where he 

worked as the sports coordinator for the 

Caribbean News Agency and then became 

the director of sports at the Caribbean 

Media Corporation. After returning to the 

island five years ago, he took up his current 

position as vice president and executive 

producer at DigicelSportsmax, where he 

oversees all presentations, edits broadcast 

scripts, and hosts Sportsmax Zone and At 

the Track. 

features editor for Evening Magazine, then 

news and current affairs editor, and perhaps, 

most notably, creator of the popular show, 

Beyond The Headlines. 

“It wasn’t just about completing an 

assignment for RJR but getting stories for 

Jamaica and the rest of the world to hear,” 

says Jennifer. “I covered quite a few things, 

but easily my most memorable reports 

included Nelson Mandela’s visit to Jamaica 

and the death of former Prime Minister 

Michael Manley,” she recalls. 

Once she parted ways with RJR, Jennifer 

worked as a senior director of entertainment 

in the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, 

served as VP for the CVM Group, and taught 

college level media and communications 

courses. She’s now a public outreach 

specialist at USAID, helping to encourage 

citizen journalism through social media. 

----------------------------- 

Courtney Sergeant 

Lance Whittaker 

JENNIFER GRANT 

Jennifer Grant 

----------------------------- 

In 1981, Jennifer Grant took on her 

first role at RJR as a reporter, eagerly 

heading out into the field to write 

and record stories. In the 18 years that 

followed, she would go on to become the 

Courtney Sergeant started out his 

journey in 1971, as a ‘stringer’ while 

attending the Brampton College. 

He was a correspondent in the Sports’ 

Department between 1972 and 1977. 

Sergeant says he produced good quality 

material and therefore received numerous 

assignments. In 1976, he was drafted into 

RJR as a sports coordinator/ producer. He 

has also covered events like the Rothmans 

International Tennis Tournament. 

Sergeant says he has worked with editors 


and other media professionals including 

Winston Manning, David Ebanks, Carlton 

Forbes, Edward Barnes, Lance Whittaker, 

Michael Siva and Simon Crosskill. 

Sergeant was the co-producer of the radio 

sports talk-show, Sports Call and producer 

of the programme Sports Zone. Now, he is a 

media liaison, and a marketer/producer of 

entertainment events including the Black 

and White New Years’ Eve Ball. 

He said, “RJR has taught me about 

commitment and love. It has given me 

opportunities and I maintain a high 

standard of work. I take pride in my work, 

and in knowing and meeting people.” 

----------------------------- 

school. So all of my formative years were 

spent at RJR post high school... My first 

supervisory role was at Telemar; my first 

managerial role was at Telemar. When 

I came back to RJR I learned television, 

which I never did in school. I never did 

it previously... persons on television, too 

numerous to mention, held my hand and 

taught me. Most of the person who I am 

now has been shaped by the fire-storm at 

Radio Jamaica.” 

Hall shared his mantra that takes him 

through times of hardship. He said, “My 

thing is, ‘Why worry when you can pray?’ 

That’s the approach I take to life, that’s the 

approach I take to media. There’s no need 

to worry about it.” He advises young and 

aspiring journalists that, “The media is a 

hard task master... It’s hard work...” 

He says that too many young people enter 

into news media not realising how many 

long hours they will need to spend in order 

to hone their craft. “It is not the glamour 

that you see on TV, and you have to be 

prepared for that...” 

all about theory and very influential among 

younger people. Desmond was a great 

impromptu person; Desmond could ad lib,” 

he laughed. “He could just walk into the 

studio and just light it up!” 

Arthur Hall 

Arthur Hall detailed that in 1984 fresh 

out of high school, he went on to 

spend roughly 11 years working with 

the Telemar Data Entry Company that was 

owned by RJR. When he returned to RJR in 

2002, he was in Radio as a reporter. He 

then moved on to being a radio news editor, 

and when he finally left in 2007, he was the 

head of TV news. 

Hall has had numerous supporters. 

However, the main ones were Lester 

Spaulding, managing director at the time, 

and Moya Thomas, Group Head of News 

when he returned to RJR in 2002. He truly 

believes that RJR impacted his life and that 

it has propelled him towards his current 

position. Hall said, “RJR shaped me.” 

“My first introduction to media was when 

I joined Telemar in 1984 fresh out of high 


Committed, loyal and resilient, these media 

professionals have devoted many years of 

service in great faith. They have paved the 

way for the generation behind them. They 

are a true source of motivation; surely those 

who come after them will benefit from their 

phenomenal legacy. 

----------------------------- 

Donald Topping, before becoming 

an independent media consultant 

in Florida, USA, was known for his 

electrifying voice that infused the airwaves. 

From the Don Topping Thing and the Don 

Topping Odyssey, to the internationally 

acclaimed Jazz and Blues Festival, and 

numerous other concerts, Topping 

continues to be the consummate host and 

memorable presenter. 

He has also held roles in Perry Henzel’s 

The Harder They Come and the James Bond 

classic, Live and Let Die. The broadcasting 

legend and acclaimed disc jockey is even 

an internationally-certified tennis umpire. 

“I was at RJR for nearly 40 years. I got to 

work with some great people, like Charlie 

Babcock, Norman Cunningham, Marie 

Garth, Desmond Chambers, Tony Verity and 

Dottie Dean. We were like family there!” 

Topping recalled special characteristics 

about some of his colleagues. “Tony was 

Don Topping 

During his career with RJR, Topping had a 

hand in recruiting and supervising some of 

the most stellar names in Jamaican radio. 

These included Rosamond Brown, Henry 

Stennett, Dorraine Samuels, Hol Plummer 

and Richard ‘Richie B’ Burgess. 

He was a grand host and was scintillating 

on stage. Even when there were headliners 

to introduce like the Jackson 5, Marvin 

Gaye, Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson and Alicia 

Keys, Topping held audiences in the palm 

of his hands, especially the ladies, with that 

unmistakable voice. He was regal in stature 

and exuded comfort and ease at the same 

time. 

“I loved to perform,” he said, with reference 

to being an announcer. “But becoming a 

supervisor in programmes was a part of 

the career growth, so I did it.” Perhaps what 

Topping loved even more was the music 

and the ability to share it with the listeners. 

Topping admits to having an enviable 

record collection and listening to music 

remains one of his favourite past times. 

When he is in Jamaica he most certainly 

checks out the radio scene. “Sometimes 

it feels like I never left,” he said. “Yes, a 

lot has changed still, like the use of local

dialect. You rarely had that back 

when I was on. But there is still 

something familiar about it all.” 

To him, radio was everything 

back in his day. “Radio was 

ubiquitous. It told people 

where everything was. If you 

were a cricket fan, that was 

your lifeline. In an emergency 

people depended on radio. It 

was where you went for theatre, 

as you had some great radio 

dramas on at that time.” 

And what is his advice to 

people wanting to get into 

broadcasting? “You have to 

practice your craft. I used to 

be in my basement with my 

tape recorder. You may not be 

as good as you think you are. 

Practice is everything.” 

------------------------------------- 

His moniker is the Vibe 

Master, and can he 

build a vibe! From road 

shows, tactical community 

events and general media 

and communication services, 

Jeremiah Davy has developed 

a special brand through his 

company J-Werks Inter-Active. 

Just ask his diverse pool of 

corporate clients. 

Davy, a broadcaster and media 

consultant, has added his name 

to a league of extraordinary 

media professionals. Radio 

came naturally and Davy’s 

broadcasting career began 

after landing an audition with 

FAME. He called Francois St. 

Juste persistently until he got 

an audition. 

“I started on the Graveyard 

Shift with Michael Thompson 

from midnight until 5a.m. It was 

a challenge yes, but the other 

job I had during the day gave 

me a little flexibility. I was able 

to get some rest in between 

and get it all done. But it wasn’t 

always easy.” 

To him radio granted him the 

power to reach so many people. 

It was not something he took 

lightly so he also set out to 

inspire people and always 

made room for charity and 

giving back where possible. 

According to Davy he had help 

and lots of encouragement. 

“Elaine Wint Leslie helped 

me to grow as a broadcaster. 

Others like Paula-Ann Porter- 

Jones and Barry Gordon have 

also inspired me. Porter-Jones, 

because her speech is always 

spot-on and Gordon because 

he has managed to 

take radio to a different 

level and reinvent 

himself.” 

Jerry Davy, The Vibe Master 

Davy never really 

slowed. In addition to a 

career in broadcasting 

he took on hosting at 

Cactus Night Club to 

“build the vibes” on a 

Friday night. He was 

the ideal entertainer 

and host and it showed 

everywhere he went 

even when he travelled 

with the Reggae Boyz, 

Jamaica’s national 

football team, in their 

pursuit of a place in the 

1998 FIFA World Cup 

Finals. 



Melville Harris 

RJR’s St Elizabeth correspondent 

for over 30 years 

Me lville 

Harris’ 

colleagues called him the St. 

Elizabeth Bureau Chief. Why? 

This was because Harris had 

an enviable network of sources 

in St. Elizabeth and other 

parts of western Jamaica. “If 

any of my colleagues in the 

newsroom want information 

now, even though I am not 

travelling around the island as 

much and am based mainly in 

St. Elizabeth they know they 

can count on me to give them 

information,” he said. “When 

I returned their calls they 

knew it was because I had the 

information they needed.” 

Harris made time for this 

interview just after wrapping 

up his faithful listening to the 5 

p.m. RJR newscast. 

“I made journalism my 

profession and I have been 

at it for over 30 years,” said 

Harris, who began his career in 

1976 while still at St. Jago High 

School. 

“I was approached by persons 

in news at the Gleaner to do 

some writing. They wanted to 

know if I would write stories 

about things affecting St. 

Catherine. I used to play around 

with writing stories and I had 

a few friends at the Gleaner. I 

used this as a chance to earn 

some pocket money.” 

According to Harris, in 1987 

Alan Rickards saw him 

covering an event and asked 

why he wasn’t writing for RJR. 

He considered it and applied 

soon after for a role in the 

newsroom. The news editor at 

the time was Janette Mowatt. 

“She requested samples of 

my writing so I submitted 

two articles but I didn’t get a 

response. That was late 1987. I 

thought I didn’t get the job,” he 

said. 

Melville Harris receives the Lay Magistrates’ Association 

2015 Golden Scale Award at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel 

“If I had to do it all over 

again I would still go back to 

RJR,” he said emphatically. 


ST ELIZABETH CORRESPONDENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS 

However in February 1988, while in 

Kingston, he visited RJR and asked to 

speak to the news editor. 

“She asked how come I wasn’t writing 

for them. I told her I applied but I 

hadn’t heard anything. And would 

you believe there was a cheque in the 

drawer for me for the two articles [I had 

written]. She said, ‘but it says here we 

have had you on since October 1987.’ 

So I had got the job after all!” 

And so Harris’ RJR journey was well 

underway. 

to also cover Westmoreland, Hanover 

and Trelawny. He roamed western 

Jamaica for just over a decade. 

“When I started, life wasn’t as easy in 

terms of news gathering. Technology 

was nowhere where it is now. The 

Olympia typewriter and the fax 

machine were our best friends.” 

Harris named it the ‘bung-bung’ due 

to the sound that the typewriter keys 

made. “We typed on newsprint and 

then faxed that to the News Centre. 

Or some people called in the stories.” 

Harris’ voice fades as he recalls his 

first computer lesson, which was 

delivered at 32 Lyndhurst Road, 

Kingston. “That took awhile – the 

computer lessons - but eventually 

I caught on.” 

the railing. We formed a relay system, 

one reporter to another, funneling the 

information to the newsroom bit by 

bit.” 

And that is how the EC news stories 

got included in the 1 p.m. newscast. 

“Spaulding bought lunch for everyone 

in the newsroom that day,” said Harris. 

“He really showed what we could 

accomplish with togetherness and I 

developed a great deal of respect for 

him.” 

Fun and camaraderie 

Harris remembers the RJR newsroom 

being a lot of fun. “Everyone helped 

each other and we all had a great 

sense of humour.” 

Melville Harris prides himself in his work and contribution 

to the growth of the RJR 94FM brand 

Nothing but excitement 

Into the fire he went with his first 

major assignment being the coverage 

of Hurricane Gilbert that same year. 

“Jennifer Grant handed me a tape 

recorder and told me they needed 

stories on the fishermen in Treasure 

Beach and how they had been 

affected by Hurricane Gilbert.” After 

that it became all about news from St. 

Elizabeth for Harris. 

He was later asked to fill in at the 

Western Bureau and in doing so 

travelled from St, Elizabeth to St. 

James sometimes three times per 

week. Harris was eventually asked 

Another thing that happened shortly 

after Hurricane Gilbert that had 

Harris remembering how creative 

the team in the newsroom could be 

to make sure the news stories were 

prepared quickly. 

“It was Friday after Gilbert and the 

then managing director J. Lester 

Spaulding entered the newsroom 

at about 12:35 p.m. I was only there 

to collect my cheque and those of my 

colleagues in Montego Bay,” he said. 

“That’s what you did in those days 

because there was no direct deposit.” 

Spaulding arrived at the newsroom to 

find out if there was any information 

coming out of the Eastern Caribbean 

(EC) with respect to the impact of 

the hurricane. “He hadn’t heard 

any reports referring to the Eastern 

Caribbean so he had us calling people 

in the EC and turning those updates 

into news stories. Remember, this is 

just before the 1 p.m. news should be 

read,” he said excitedly. 

His enthusiasm was palpable as he 

remembered how the day unfolded. “I 

was the young one so they put me at 

the stairs and there I was sliding down 

During his time with RJR he prides 

himself in his investigative work and 

subsequently his contribution to the 

growth of RJR 94FM as a brand. 

“We did some marvellous work there. 

I had the opportunity to initiate the 

Western Report and to also do Man 

In The Street, which later became the 

Roving Report. 

He also has fond memories of 

persons who coached him over the 

years as he developed as a journalist. 

“Gary Allen, Earl Moxam and Jennifer 

Grant were some of the people who 

helped me to grow. As well as the late 

Megan Thomas,” he added. “She was 

a tower of strength!” 

Thomas, he said, coached many 

members of staff. “She spent so 

much time with us and helped us 

with techniques to help the listeners 

to better understand what we were 

saying. She was wonderful.” 

Melville Harris resides in Siloah, 

St. Elizabeth. He is married with a 

daughter. 


Ralston 

M C KENZIE 

Several lives in one lifetime 

Ralston McKenzie is a Broadcaster and Journalist whose life has had many defining 

chapters. His demeanor is calm. His voice: steady and credible. He is currently the 

producer and presenter of Sunday Contact, a weekly programme aired on RJR 94 FM 

and online, that links persons with long-lost family and friends. 

Born in the United Kingdom, 

McKenzie lived in Egypt during his 

father’s tenure as a flight sergeant 

in World War II. He is a St. George’s 

College old boy and has enjoyed 

high achievements in Jamaica’s 

insurance industry. He has won gold 

medals and was a four time national 

champion in speech and drama. 

McKenzie is also a lector in the lay ministry at St. Richard’s 

Church. 

He has worked as a civil engineering draughtsman in the 

Ministry of Works and served as a medical technologist in 

histo-pathology. Due to a lack of funding, he could not 

complete his pursuit of medical studies. He later had a 

desire to enter the United Nations after completing his BSc 

in International Relations. However, fate seemed to have 

reserved him for his listeners and a wide media landscape. 


SEVERAL LIVES IN ONE LIFETIME 

In 1968, while studying at the 

University of the West Indies, some 

family friends introduced him to Hugh 

Wong, who was the programmes 

director at RJR, who lived up the street. 

“He thought I sounded good and 

encouraged me to apply to RJR. I wrote 

the letter and also sent it to JBC. JBC 

responded first as Beverly Anderson 

called me in for an audition that same 

day,” he said. “I was employed to do 

TV continuity, time signals, voice over 

scripts, programme parades and so 

on.” 

Significant skills 

According to McKenzie, he acquired 

significant journalism skills while at 

JBC. “People like Megan Thomas; 

she was amazing, just fantastic. She 

became my mentor and coached me a 

lot. I also got support from Joe Lewis.” 

During this time McKenzie entered 

the Jamaica Cultural Development 

Commission’s drama and speech 

competitions. “I won the first time I 

entered and taking the top prize had 

become a news flash. So Wycliffe 

Bennett said I needed to be on air. 

Bennett who was a distinguished 

dramatist and speaker 

made sure that all 

announcers got training,” 

McKenzie added. 

McKenzie went on to work 

with some of the greats 

including Trevor Rhone, 

Dee Harris and Yvonne 

Jones. He went on to win 

three more gold medals 

in drama and speech. He 

also kept learning his craft 

at JBC. “I worked with 

camera crews too, doing 

production and outdoor 

broadcast.” 

He was on fire and learned 

as much as he could to 

become better. “I learned 

radio techniques from 

observing Uriel Aldridge, 

who was just very versatile, 

as well as Winston 

Williams and Jeff “Free I” Dixon. There 

were also Reggie Carter and Leonie 

Forbes who were quite remarkable,” 

he said. “I’ve really worked with some 

amazing people.” 

RJR’s intense training 

By January 1970, he had joined RJR 

and the training stepped up. “Howard 

Clarke was a senior producer there 

and I worked 

with him. The 

announcers went 

through six weeks 

of intense training 

before they could 

say one word on the 

air. Marie Garth, Don 

Topping and Charlie 

Babcock were also 

around at the time. 

The training was 

magnificent.” 

McKenzie got his 

break on RJR doing 

Lunchtime Spin. 

Later Winston 

Ridgard, then assistant programmes 

director, and Hugh Wong wanted a 

programme that aired between dusk 

and dark. “They wanted to reach 

the young people coming home 

from school and to create a mood of 

relaxation. They were trying to come 

up with a name and so I suggested 

The Evening People Show. 

That was it. With a great jazz intro and 

outro by Marty Paich, listeners were 

clued in every evening. “The show 

took off,” he said. From about 6 p.m. 

until 10 p.m. the show held the higher 

ratings compared to JBC’s evening 

programme at that time. 

“I did The Evening People Show for 

five years. I eventually accepted a 

promotion, with hesitation because it 

meant I would be off the air. But that 

was how it went. You had to move up. 

Henry Stennett took over the slot.” 

It was an exciting time in radio. RJR 

had moved to FM and McKenzie was 

also enjoying helping with recruiting 

new announcers. “I remember the 

first time I heard Dorraine Samuels. 

She was being interviewed after a 

beauty pageant. Neville Willoughby 

interviewed her and when he put the 

mic towards her, this mellifluous voice 

came over. We had to have her at RJR!” 

A young animated Ralston McKenzie 


SEVERAL LIVES IN ONE LIFETIME 

Sunday Contact 

It wasn’t always easy. When McKenzie 

went back to school to get his BSc he 

eventually took a pay cut and went 

to work at Capitol Stereo, which later 

became FAME. “I played music from 6 

p.m. to 12 a.m., but it was the only way 

to stay on—air.” 

He recalls a funny story when he 

dozed off at the controls. “You were 

only playing music but you still had to 

be alert. I remember when the operator 

had to run up to the studio and wake 

me up because the listeners were 

hearing the grooves.” He laughed. 

“Those were the days.” 

After completing his university 

studies he got married and worked 

with Ridgard to come up with the 

format for Sunday Contact. “Even 

with hosting the Sunday programmes, 

I still did state functions and outdoor 

broadcasts. I had the opportunity 

to chat briefly with the Queen and 

various international heads of state. 

I’ve also been very involved in the 

newsroom. 

“I’ve read the news on JBC Television 

and worked on the morning 

programmes. But, after all that, 

travelling and studying in the United 

States, returning to my family and 

having three years working in 

insurance under my belt, I went back 

to Sunday Contact.” 

Several lives in one lifetime! That’s 

Ralston McKenzie. He did it all with 

such gusto and ambition and remains 

one of the most distinguished voices 

and media personalities Jamaica has 

come to know and love. 


Jennifer Delisser-Lyons 

The 

By Ruth Chisholm 

All hail the librarians! They are the brilliant guardians and 

organisers of cherished precious content. 

Jennifer Delisser-Lyons 

is the stellar supervising 

librarian in the records 

library at RJR. For 

over 40 years she has 

been undoubtedly the 

keeper of some of your 

favourite songs that 

have flowed through the 

airwaves into your kitchens on a Sunday 

afternoon or while you were getting ready 

for that hectic work day. And of course, 

she loves the music. 

As the librarian, her job includes sourcing 

or procuring all the music for the station. 

“We had to really prepare the music 

sheets for the presenters so that for every 

programme they had all the music they 

needed. Over time, she added, some 

of the presenters would prepare their 

music sheets themselves but we still had 

to ensure all the music was available. 

The music sheets are very important, 

especially for copyright 

purposes. We had to make 

sure that any programme 

that was recorded here or 

offsite was organised and 

ready for use at the right 

time for every segment 

every day.” 

Lyons has lived a lifetime 

and a half at RJR. She has 

experienced so much joy, 

and has been through 

painful losses at her 

workplace and “second 

home.” “I have met some 

of the music greats and 

have photos with people 

like the Spinners and the 

‘Even though many of the presenters 

select their own music now due to 

the technological advancements, the 

librarian’s role is still critical because 

everything still had to be available at a 

moment’s notice.’ 

Stylistics. I met the Jackson 5 when they 

came into the studio; I met Ben E. King 

and the O’Jays,” she said; “so many great 

musicians! Bob Marley used to come by 

the library too,” she reminisced. “He and 

others like Dennis Brown all visited the 

library when they came to RJR.” 

Her personal life also blossomed as she 

got married while at RJR and basked in 

the birth of her son during her tenure at 

the station. But, she also experienced the 

passing of her parents and lost two fellow 

librarians during her four decades. 

Life at RJR 

Her life at RJR began shortly after leaving 

St. Hugh’s High School. “I was enrolled 

at Duffs because I was doing a secretarial 

course and a little before graduation, 

Newton James, who was the chief 

engineer at JBC at the time, asked me 

to sit in as his secretary for a few weeks 

because his secretary was on vacation. 

Well, she never came back 

so I ended up doing that 

for a few months.” Lyons 

admitted she hadn’t enjoyed 

that role too much. 

As fate would have it, her 

friend had just left JBC and 

taken up a position at RJR. 

“My friend Cecile told me 

of a post at Capitol Stereo 

[which later became FAME] 

as an assistant librarian. 

So I applied and the rest is 

history,” she laughed. 

After being at Capitol Stereo 

for about three years, an 

opportunity appeared. “I was 


off on maternity leave and just before 

returning to work, Winston Ridgard, who 

was the programmes manager, sent me 

to do a professional library management 

course at the National Library of Jamaica. 

When I returned to work I returned to RJR 

as the supervising librarian. 

“Boy, I have been at RJR so long that 

sometimes I don’t need the catalogue,” 

she laughed. “Someone could come in 

and say, ‘Do you have so and so?’ I could 

just walk to the shelf, most times at least, 

and just find the music. Yeah, I have been 

here that long. I remember where almost 

all the music would be.” 

Critical role 

Over the years she has tried to keep up 

with all the changes and importantly the 

music. “I’m old school but I have to try 

and keep up. We have everything here 

including music going back to the 1940s 

and all the way forward to the current 

content. We have every genre in the 

library, from dancehall to pop music.” 

“We went from vinyl to compact discs 

to now so many people play the music 

directly from the computer. But we still 

have a turntable because we have to be 

able to accommodate the 

45s or the LPs.” 

Lyons said even though 

many of the presenters 

select their own music now 

due to the technological 

advancements, the 

librarian’s role is still critical 

because everything still 

had to be available at a 

moment’s notice. 

Regardless of how the 

times have changed she 

remembers the fun. “We 

used to enjoy ourselves, 

especially during September 

to Remember. That’s when 

we chose a parish every year and hosted 

outdoor broadcasts in the different 

towns,” she said excitedly. “Everyone 

came. From the technicians to the 

librarians, everyone went and we had so 

much fun.” 

The work-turned family-type excursions 

included “crabbing” out at Port 

Henderson. Her enthusiastic recollection 

guided you to images of cooking crab 

with her co-workers, the eventful road 

Jennifer Delisser-Lyons with world famous singing group the Stylistics 

trips and exciting sports events. 

And now, even after so many years, her 

commitment remains so sound, it is nearly 

impossible to envision her in another role. 

“I’m a freelancer now though,” she said 

with an accomplished sigh. “I actually 

retired in 2009 so I only go in three days 

a week now. But I’ve enjoyed it so much I 

couldn’t have done anything else.” 



Pernell Parchment 

By Ruth Chisholm 

A radio station’s programmes department needs 

special back up. On many occasions that back 

up came from Pernell Parchment, who was with 

RJR for a memorable 37 years. 

Between 1972 and 2009, she was a traffic clerk, 

worked in marketing and then moved on to 

being a programme assistant. “I have supported 

so many people, like Dottie Dean, Don Topping, 

Norma Brown Bell, Hol Plummer and Francois 

St. Juste.” At one point she also assisted Lester 

Spaulding while he worked in the accounting 

department. 

RJR’s Pernell Parchment and Jennifer Delisser-Lyons 

“I enjoyed my time at RJR. I’m 

happily retired now, but I had 

some great times while I was 

there.” 

Parchment recalls the high 

energy that catapulted 

everyone during elections. 

“In those days things were 

not computerised so we had 

to monitor the phones. The 

newsroom got updates feed 

by feed. Lots of running 

happened but it was so 

exciting. We had to prepare 

forms for the telephone 

operators, you know, so they 

would have the ready list of the 

constituencies.” 

Parchment even recalls 

sleeping at the station. She 

loved the work though so she 

didn’t mind. “For the most part 

though, when time came the 

company would make sure 

you got home.” 

She recalled how strict things 

were too. “Those days to 

go on-air you had to have a 

great voice and an excellent 

command of the English 

Language. If you didn’t have 

that you were not allowed to 

speak on-air,” she said with 

great conviction. 

“My time at RJR was nothing 

short of dynamic. I got to try so 

many things. Don Topping and 

a few others sometimes had 

me do commercials. I did some 

promos too.” Spinning records 

wasn’t really her thing though. 

“I tried spinning records on a 

weekend but I didn’t like it very 

much. I preferred the other 

work,” she said favourably. 

An outstanding moment for 

Parchment was “when the 

company went public and 

the staff got to buy shares 

in RJR; that felt so good,” she 

enthused. “It made me and 

so many others feel even more 

committed. We felt like after 

all the years we were a part of 

something that was really big.” 

“I had plans to be a teacher 

but that never happened,” 

she laughed. “It was all about 

media and RJR.” 


Audel Simms 

Driving 

the Stars 

Audel Simms says, “It has been great being a part of the RJR family” 

Audel Simms is not just 

a driver. He is the heart 

of transportation at RJR. 

Simms started working at 

the station on July 17, 1984. 

“I came from St Mary and stayed with 

my aunt who was a teacher at the 

Portmore Academy and she would 

never put up with there being any 

station playing in the house except 

RJR. If she came home and heard JBC 

playing it was all hell let loose 

in the house. So from very 

young, like it or not, I was RJR 

people.” 

Telling the story of his life at 

RJR, Simms related: “I came 

to town in 1969 when selfreliance 

was the mantra of the 

day, so I wrote to my father 

in England and asked him 

to send me a Ford Transit 

so I could start my own 

transportation business. The 

bus, when it came, was not 

in great condition but I will 

always be grateful because 

my father gave me a start. 

“I got a contract with York 

Pharmacy. My grandmother 

always told me, if you don’t 

work you can’t eat. Mr 

Moodie from York Pharmacy 

hired me even though the 

bus did not look great. 

‘That’s cosmetic’, he said. 

‘Not important!’ I worked 

with York for four years. 

“I used to listen to Hol 

Plummer on Capitol Stereo, 

9 p.m. to midnight Saturdays, 

and called in to discuss 


music asking why he played so much 

Trinidadian music. Eventually we 

became friends and one day I asked 

him if there was any work at RJR for 

my bus. Mr Plummer said come down 

to RJR and I was there bright and early 

Monday morning. I met with Rupert 

Hartley and got the job based on Mr 

Plummer’s recommendation. I told 

him I would do my best and he said 

that was all he asked and I have been 

here ever since.” 

They told me I would be 

transporting Alan Magnus from the 

Good Morning Man Show and I 

said, ‘What!!!’ 

— Audel Simms 

Ford Transit, the public transportation workhorse of the 70’s 

“They told me I would be transporting 

Alan Magnus from the Good Morning 

Man Show and I said; ‘What!!!’ He 

was one of my heroes along with 

Neville Willoughby, Don Topping, and 

Winston Williams. Alan Magnus was 

#1 on radio so I said to myself, if I am 

transporting him, I will have to be # 1 

too. 

“My first pick-up 

was Stan Reynolds 

who worked in the 

newsroom and [he] 

would give Magnus 

tidbits to pass on to 

listeners. I picked 

up people from all 

over Kingston and St 

Catherine and I made it 

a point of duty to always 

familiarise myself with 

the person’s address 

and drive the route 

before the first 

pick-up so I would 

not waste any time. 

Being on time was 

crucial.” 

Wake up calls 

“It was a 4 a.m. start 

every morning and 

sometimes earlier. 

I knew who of my 

pick-ups was always 

on time and ready 

and who had a hard 

time getting out of 

bed in the morning. 

So some people I 

had to call to make

sure they were up and would be ready 

when I arrived. When I came to a gate, 

the person got five minutes to come 

out and then I moved on regardless. 

In the busiest period it was about 15 

people to pick up in the morning and 

about the same to drop off in the 

evening.” 

“In 1998, it got more complicated as I 

had to make drop-offs and pick-ups 

both at Lyndhurst Road and at South 

Odeon Avenue (JBC). At various times 

it has meant three vehicles on the 

road to do all the pick-ups and dropoffs 

on time. We would schedule their 

movements by zone. Now, by 2-3 

o’clock you have to be up, waking the 

drivers and making sure they are on 

the road on time for the pick-ups.” 

Simms is a firm believer in the rights 

of the advertisers who are RJR clients. 

“When an advertiser buys time he 

expects that the team for the show 

on which he has bought time will be 

working so we have to make sure they 

are there on time so the advertiser 

gets his or her due.” 

Life lesson 

Simms loves to interact with LIVE 

radio. “I am a radio person, not 

television, internet or phone,” and he 

is a regular caller to many radio shows. 

“It has been great being part of the 

RJR family. I watched people like Gary 

Allen and Moya Thomas come in as 

young people and grow with RJR, to 

now where Mr. Allen is MD. That has 

been fascinating for me.” 

“I also had the pleasure of working with 

the greatest journalist of all-time, Terry 

Smith. His passion for his work was 

extraordinary. Terry Smith mentored a 

whole slew of young journalists and it 

was amazing to watch.” 

Simms also spoke about the harsh 

conditions he had to endure at times. 

“I had a pick- up in Ensom City and 

I had to do that about 3:30 in the 

morning and it was mosquito infested 

and my Lada had no air conditioning 

so it was a hot, sweaty drive every 

morning with the windows closed.“ 

But in the end, it was driving Alan 

Magnus which provided the lesson 

again. Simms was on his way to pick 

up Magnus one morning in torrential 

rain. The roads were flooded and he 

turned off to make a detour arriving 

at the home late. Mrs Magnus made 

him feel the full force of her fury, 

refusing to listen to his excuses or 

explanations and insisting that, “there 

is no excuse for being late.” That is a 

lesson Simms has taken with him ever 

since. It is one of the life lessons he 

lives by and one of the reasons why he 

is still at RJR 31 years on. 

Adrian Robinson presents Noel Dexter with an award for 

music at the annual Advertising Awards show 


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w e r e 

m a d e 

available 

for the 

annual 

I S S A 

B o y s 

and Girls 

Athletic 

Championships, the JAAA’s Jamaica 

Invitational Track Meet, the UTECH 

Classic, and the JAAA’s Senior 

National Athletic Championships. 

1spotmedia represents the future 

for the delivery of Jamaica and 

Caribbean content internationally, 

and the promotion of Jamaican and 

Caribbean cultures and lifestyles. 

In an increasingly globalised 

business environment, 1spotmedia 

also provides a platform for local 

businesses to reach global audiences 

with their messages and products. 

This innovation creates opportunities 

for increased organizational 

efficiencies in content creation and 

use. New doors are also open for 

independent programme producers, 

for the development of indigenous 

programmes. Importantly, 1spotmedia 

represents the first online full service 

content delivery for the Caribbean 

and a new revenue stream for the RJR 




Helping the less 

By Gabrielle McDowell 

fortunate 

A time of giving 

Over the 

y e a r s , 

helping 

the less 

fortunate 

in our 

community has always 

been a top priority at the 

RJR Communications 

Group. Much focus has 

been placed on improving 

the overall quality of life of 

our youngest and eldest 

members of society. Many 

associations have benefited 

from the giving spirit of 

the phenomenal outreach 

programme now directed by 

Norma Brown-Bell. 

The lady with the keen eye 

for details has orchestrated 

the development of the 

company’s involvement in 

The Golden Age Home’s 

Cluster C, and the Citizens’ 

Advice Bureau/RJR Basic 

School, for over a decade. 

These two main charities 

have not deterred RJR 

from assisting many other 

charities and individuals 

on an ad hoc basis through 

fund-raising, discounted airtime 

and direct contributions. 

The Golden Age Home, 

located at 3 St Joseph’s 

Avenue, Kingston 3, serves 

as a haven for hundreds 

of destitute and homeless 

senior citizens. Ever since 

the devastating fire at the 

Eventide Home on Slipe Pen 

Road in 1980, which took 

153 lives and completely 

destroyed the property, 

RJR has been instrumental 

in the Golden Age Home 

rising from the ashes of the 

Eventide Home. 

This all began at the time 

when a young RJR radio 

announcer, Carlington 

Sinclair, appealed for funds 

and mobilised donations on 

the home’s behalf. Arising 

from his appeal and the 

fund-raising it generated, 

RJR assigned Angela Reid 

and Grace Dunn to lead 

its interest, as it became 

the major single source 

of funding in rebuilding 

a re-imagined and more 

purposeful Golden Age 

Home to replace the lost 

Eventide home. 

The Golden Age Home has 

proven to be the largest 

Caribbean shelter, specific 

to this function of caring for 

less fortunate senior citizens. 

It houses approximately 403 

residents, local to Kingston 

and St Andrew, in a serene 

atmosphere conducive to an 

overall positive existence. 

RJR has been devoted to 

its sponsorship and has 

dedicated itself to long-term 

service for the 67 inhabitants 

of one of the eight clusters, 

Cluster C. 

Sharing with the elderly 

Cluster supervisor, Morlene 

Moncrieffe, has innumerable 

memories from serving the 

Golden Age Home. She had 

this to say: “I really admire 

our sponsor RJR; they were 

our first sponsor. They are 

there. Norma comes all the 

time and she knows the 

residents; she knows the 

ill. The RJR foundation is 

there to meet our needs 

instantaneously. They have 

been here throughout the 

years since 1985. We truly 

want to give God thanks for 

bestowing RJR on us. We 

truly love them.” 

RJR receives assistance in its 

fund-raising from a plethora 

of sources, including Food 

for the Poor, hotel chains 

and food distributors. It also 

arranges concerts at the 

Home or outside and other 

events where performers 

offer their services free of 

charge, helping to ensure a 



years are the most important for 

further learning. I wanted to be a 

part of that, I want to be the first 

person to contribute to that in a 

positive way.” 

The Missionary 

The indefatigable Norma Brown 

Bell, the RJR community outreach 

officer, has had close to 38 years 

of experience in volunteerism. 

She said: “I like to call myself a 

missionary. What I have is my 

love and my care for people. I just 

have this passion for always just 

wanting to help, even if it’s just one 

person on a daily basis.” 

Children of The Citizens’ Advice Bureau/ RJR Basic School 

full and eventful life experience for the 

residents. 

The Basic School 

Another of RJR’s outreach programme 

is The Citizens’ Advice Bureau/ RJR 

Basic School at 29 Beechwood Avenue, 

Kingston 5. It provides a quality learning 

experience for more than 280 children 

between the ages of three and six years. 

The children perform well in various 

exercises. There are three houses at the 

school, one of which is named the RJR 

Group chairman, JA Lester Spaulding – 

the Spaulding House, which earned the 

winning position for the school’s interquiz 

competition held in March 2009. 

Brown Bell shared that a really proud 

moment for her was when the school 

won the INSPORTS Basic Schools 

Athletics Championships for the 8th 

time. Laughingly she said, “I was on 

cloud nine! I just think we have a pretty 

good thing running, satisfaction is the 

key to this...” 

Nigel Francis, the proud principal, said: 

“My love has grown for the children and 

people in general. I used to live nearby 

when I first started teaching here, so I 

enjoyed having this in my community. 

This is the foundation; the first seven 

“Radio Jamaica,” she said, 

“has always been involved 

with outreach... This was only 

challenging to a point because when 

you’re doing something, a project, 

then it needs assistance.” Her biggest 

concern is getting people to want to 

care to help other people and see the 

work that RJR is doing and join in the 

service. 

RJR rightly prides itself, without fanfare, 

in the outstanding work that it does 

for the community. It has displayed 

the real meaning behind the popular 

phrase, “Service Above Self”. The 

emphasis placed on assisting the often 

overlooked members of our society, 

shows the strength of character that 

lies within the entity that is RJR. 




Honouring Sport 

The National Sportsman & Sportswoman of the Year Awards 

is not only a sports awards ceremony but also a red carpet affair where 

our sportswomen display classy evening wear, adorning perfectly 

shaped figures; and our nattily attired sportsmen stride proudly across a 

national stage in an event beamed across the hemisphere. 

When RJR decided to take up the hosting of the annual National Sportsman & Sportswoman of the Year Awards in 2006 

(for the 2005 awards) it was with mixed perspectives. The station was aware of the weight of sporting history that it 

would be representing and cognisant of the need to continue a commitment to excellence that had been engendered by 

the Machado and continued by the Carreras companies. 

RJR Sports Foundation board members Mike Fennell (left) 

(chairman, Selection Committee), Carrole Guntley (centre) 

and Molly Rhone (right) enjoying the moment. 

Olympian & special guest Felix Sanchez (left) being interviewed 

on the red carpet by RJR’s Jermaine Brown (centre) 

and Jenny Jenny (right). 


THE NATIONAL SPORTSMAN & SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS 

RJR also knew that it would 

be serving the sportsmen 

and sportswomen who 

were representing and 

had represented Jamaica 

so gloriously; as well as 

the sporting associations, 

which are the engines of 

sport in Jamaica. It was a 

major commitment and one 

entered only when it was 

made clear that there was 

no other viable candidate. 

It was almost certain that 

at least in the first year and 

possibly much longer, the 

show would be a drain on 

RJR’s resources and not a 

money earner. To ensure 

the smooth running of the 

awards, RJR established 

the RJR Sports Foundation 

and put on its Board a 

wide cross section of top 

professionals in sport, 

marketing, production and 

tourism. 

Under their guidance 

and leadership, RJR felt 

certain that not only could 

standards for the awards 

be maintained but the show 

and the awards could also 

be significantly improved to 

the benefit of the athletes, 

the administrators, the 

sporting associations and 

the listening and viewing 

public. 

The first five years were full 

of teething issues and RJR 

came close to giving up 

the awards on more than 

one occasion; but always 

the deciding factor was the 

commitment to the national 

good. No comparable 

candidate for producing the 

awards offered itself and 

the awards had to continue 

in the national interest. 

Through a combination of 

careful planning, intensified 

marketing, upgrading 

of the product as a live 

television event and closer 

interaction with the relevant 

stakeholders in the sporting 

fraternity, the event became 

must-see television. Not 

just for Jamaica, but also 

for an increasingly larger 

global audience. The full 

media resources of the RJR 

Communications Group 

were brought to bear on the 

awards to ensure that each 

year was better than the 

previous one. The athletes 

responded with more 

commitment to the event 

and more interest in the 

awards. 

This was a boom time for 

Jamaican sports, with the 

ICC Cricket World Cup in 

the West Indies in 2007; 

and the amazing results at 

the Beijing Olympic Games 

(2008) and IAAF Berlin 

World Championships 

(2009) putting Usain Bolt 

and Jamaica firmly at centrestage 

for global sport. 

Now, the awards have 

become one of the most 

anticipated annual events 

on the sporting calendar. 

It is a shining example of 

what RJR professionalism 

brings to any task and how 

dedicated RJR is to national 

development. 

It may have started out with 

much uncertainty but the 

RJR Sports Foundation’s 

National Sportsman & 

Sportswoman of the Year 

Awards is now a clear 

winner. 

RJR National Sportsman and 

Sportswoman of the Year Awards 

Sportsman and Sportswoman winners and nominees 

The ‘Fab 3’ Merlene Ottey (left), Veronica 

Campbel-Brown (centre) and Mike McCallum 

(right) share lens time 

Tony “T Rob” Robinson (left), Christene King 

(second left), Yvonne Wilks (second right), and 

Hol Plummer (right) 

HITZ 92 FM’s Oral Tracy (right) interviews Asafa 

Powell (left)

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