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pleasure1950: David Ebanks poses on a RJR antenna wrth a microphone in his hand.John GrinanAlmost everywhere one goes in Jamaica one hears the sounds of music and voices of people expressing their opinions on numerous talk shows. Offices, street corners, restaurants and bars - anywhere you find a group of Jamaicans gathered, you will more than likely find a radio playingRadio’s relationship with the national psyche began as early as 1939 when the first broadcast was transmitted via a shortwave *ham“ operated unit from the Seaview Ave home of the unit's owner, John Gnnan. The call sign was VP5PZ and it offered wartime news and information for a half-hour once a week.By 1940, Grinan had negotiated, with the colonial government to set up a station that became known as ZQ1 and the frequency and vane tv of broadcasts increased But Ustener-ship never totalled more than 100,000 given die relatively high cost of radio sets.Then on July 9,1950,(fifty-one years ago) commercial radio broadcasting began when the government, like those rn many other Caribbean territories during that decade, granted a license to the Jamaica Broadcasting Company a subsidiary of the British Rediffusion Group. This signalled the birth of the Radio Jamaica and Rediffusion Network or, as we know it today, RJR.Four transmission sites were established across the island to carry the medium wave signals. This early RJR was quite British in character, producing a very BBC-like format Slowly but surely, however, more andmore Jamaicans moved in and some of theflavour of Jamaica began to be heard.Popular shows included Talent Parade, opened by Karl Magnus' regular *WeH, look, here's something that just came to me! line, and onginaUy produced by • Archie Undo and Hugh Wilson. Talent Parade showcased local talent broadcast from the Carib Theatre and helped to launch the careers of well-loved entertainers including Ranny Williams and Louise Bennett Other popular shows included Alma Mock-Yen's Tea Time and Mane Garth’s Busy Bee Club for children. Favounte announcers and programme hosts emerged including:Merrick Needham, possibly best known for his ceremonial outside broadcasts,Dorothy Hosang {Lannaman's Lollipop Land for children)Adrian Robinson, Tony Vemty, Roy Reid (Reid at Random), Radciiffe Butler (The Butler Did It, Midnight Mood), and Dorothy La Croix, better known as Dottie Dean.In an effort to broaden listenership in the early 1950s RJR distributed some 200 ’’little brown radio boxes (rediffusion boxes) to communal locations like police stations, schools and shops so that more Jamaicans would have access to radio information andSome fifty years after its inception radio is still the most powerful, far-reaching form of media inJamaica. More than 2 million of theisland's 2.5 million people are said to be radio listeners.%All photos courtesy of RJR Communications GroupJean Barnes during a broadcast from trie RJR Studios on Lyndhurst Rd.**a*The first 500 years in Jamaicaprogramming. By 1954 over 57,000 Rediffusion sets were in use and over 285,000 Jamaicans were confirmed radio listeners (a major increase from ifae 75,000 in 1947). Radio programmes also began to be sponsored by companies that increasingly used the radio as a medium of advertisement -these proceeds were the station's only sources of income. These commercials were either pre-recorded or voiced live from the studio.Between 1950 and the mid-1960s RJR became a household word and improvements in radio transmission occurred. 1951 ushered in wire radio service - meaning that transmissions were sent from a central station, better able to withstand atmospheric conditions and reach a wider listenership. But to receive them you had to be a rediffusion subscriber, paying three-pence a day. As Merrick Needham describes, this early form of radio transmission was a bit like cable TV but with sound - Rebecca TortelloRADIO TRIVIAOne of the original RCA floor stand microphone bought byRadioJamaicain 1950.A standard Rediffusion speaker box used by subscribers for home listening during the 1950sRADIO TIMELINE1939: First broadcast transmitted via shortwave ham’ radio.1950: Gov't granted liclt;rtink^ rence tothe Jamaica Broadcast Company for commercial radio broadcasting.1951: RJR moved to a new studio on Lyndhurst Rd.1953: FM Band transmission was introduced - Jamaica was the first British colony to boast of such a service.1956: RJR began a schools broadcasting service and placed radios in schools across the island-1959: Government started itsown station, JBC radio through The Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. The name of the company under which RJR operated was formally changed to that of Radio Jamaica Limited, the name by which it is known today.1962: RJR began a service known as ‘Redicune’ which allowed for non-stop music. This was replaced later tn the 1960s by ‘Musipage’ which allowed for live broadcasts of musical performances from radio stations.Lynford Anderson loads carousel with music cartridges for 24-hour radio transmission.1972: RJR started a second station on its FM band to play nonstop music only. In 1984, a third station, FAME FM emerged. It wasn't until 1990 that simulcast broadcasting was introduced-hencc the simultaneous coverage of national events - parliamentary sessions, football and cnckct games, etc. - to which we are accustomed today.
Newspaper Details
Kingston Gleaner
Kingston, Kingston, JM
Mon, Jul 16, 2001
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Susun W.
USA 11 Feb 2019
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