Mr Alan Magnus — wonderful human being and consummate broadcaster

Our colleague journalist at Radio Jamaica, Mr Earl Moxam, OD, did Jamaicans a great service last Sunday when he dedicated his weekly news review programme, That’s a Rap, to the memory of Mr Alan Magnus who passed late last week.

Mr Magnus was easily one of the finest and mostloved broadcasters ever produced by this country and his death left many of us in shock, because, although he had retired in 2017, he had continued doing a robust five-minute spot twice per week on RJR’S morning programme Sunny Side Up with Mrs Paula-anne Porter Jones.

That five-minute spot kept Mr Magnus a part of our lives — an advantage he earned over the more than 50 years he worked at RJR, and certainly during the three decades he presented the station’s flagship morning show.

The That’s a Rap tribute embraced an interview with Mr Magnus conducted by Mr Moxam in 2017. It chronicled Mr Magnus’s life, from his early days in the profession after graduating from Kingston College, through to his stints as a recording artiste, and his experiences at the radio station.

What emerged from this interview was not only Mr Magnus’s jovial nature and his humaneness, but his genius at his craft. Through his brilliance he not only entertained his audience, but he also kept us informed of local, regional, and international events while ensuring that we respected the value of time.

The utility of that service, we know, was lost on some, but most people respected and accepted it because of their recognition that time is more precious than money, and that its value is most easily appreciated in retrospect.

It was not surprising, therefore, that in 1993 the Jamaican Government saw it fit to invest Mr Magnus with the national honour, the Order of Distinction, for his contribution to broadcasting.

Mr Magnus emerged from a cohort of individuals who excelled in the field of broadcasting. Messrs Radcliffe Butler, Neville Willoughby, Don Topping, Desmond Chambers, Canadian-born Charlie Babcock, and Ms Marie Garth come easily to mind. Their smooth, silky delivery and excellent command of English endeared them to their listeners and made it known to the world that Jamaica was blessed with immense talent in this field.

The accolades bestowed on Mr Magnus this past weekend are more than deserved: “One of the finest broadcasters to have graced the airwaves in Jamaica”, and who “curated a space in the country’s broadcasting history”, said Prime Minister Andrew Holness. “He left us accompanied by the love and fondness that a nation reserves only for an extra-special citizen,” said the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Ms Olivia “Babsy” Grange. “His commitment to presenting the facts, fostering meaningful discussions, and promoting the rich cultural tapestry of Jamaica set a standard that aspiring broadcasters should hope to emulate,” said Opposition Leader Mark Golding. “An iconic broadcaster who served the Jamaican radio audience with distinction for decades,” said RJRGLEANER Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Anthony Smith. And, “a national treasure” who “left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of Jamaicans across generations”, said Ms Nekesiha Burchell, the People’s National Party spokeswoman on information and public communication.

We endorse them all and say to our departed brother: Well done. Walk good.