By Dionne Rose, Staff ReporterTHE MEDIA landscape is expanding with the introduction of three new players which the Broadcasting Commission has granted licences to operate in Western Jamaica. The new comers - Cornwall Broadcasting Services, Yard Broadcasting and Westmoreland Broadcasting- will operate as community radio stations.
They join three existing community stations - Roots FM, which is operated by the Mustard Seed Community in Kingston; The Breath of Change (TBC), which is managed by the Tarrant Baptist Church and broadcasts in the Corporate Area; and Mega Jamaica, which broadcasts in the Corporate Area and six parishes.
Two of the stations, Cornwall Broadcasting and Westmoreland Broadcasting are already on air, according to checks made by The Gleaner. Cornwall Broadcasting, known as Mello FM, is slated to be launched on September 6 but has been doing test broadcasting. Alfred Robinson, media liaison officer, said that the station's programmes would be tailored to serve the community of Montego Bay.
"We will be covering community news and local happenings of importance to Western Jamaica that is not being covered by the national stations," he said.
In outlining some of these programmes, he included traffic reports in the mornings on the streets of the second City as well as local newscasts which will be called City Plus.
OUTSIDE BROADCASTING
"It (City Plus) will be a news and current affairs programme between 6 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.". He also divulged that there would be outside broadcasting from plazas in and around the city.
"The focus is to provide Western Jamaica with programming that caters to our region and contribute to the development of our region and the community," said Mr. Robinson.
So far, the station has provided employment to some 30 persons in areas of broadcasting. Meanwhile, Mr. Robinson said that the response from the public has been good. Mello FM will operate from 62 Barnett Street, with transmission from Kemp Shot Peak in Montego Bay with another transmitter site to be erected to cover the shadow zones.
Meanwhile, Roger Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Cornwall Broadcasting, also known, as Linkz 96 FM says that the future goal is to broadcast nationally, within the next two to three years, covering both Middlesex and Surrey.
He said the station, which started transmission in February is entertainment focused. "We are an entertainment station with information on the entertainment industry in Jamaica and oversees".
Some of its programmes, he said, included Album Review; Just -A-Bust, which is geared towards artistes coming on stream and a 15-minute programme reviewing entertainment happenings on the weekend.
The station also carries three newscasts per day, which is known as Linkzcope, focusing on entertainment, current affairs, sports and weather. The company has provided 20 jobs since its operation.
Information Officer at the Broadcasting Commission, Jackie Jackson noted that the emergence of the three stations was not unusual as several national radio stations started out as community stations before broadcasting nationally.
Citing some of these stations, she said this included IRIE-FM, which formerly broadcasted from St. Ann; KLAS FM, originally broadcasting from Mandeville and Hot 102, originally broadcasting from Montego Bay.
