Media galaxy loses brightest star

THE EDITOR, Sir: IAN BOYNE was, arguably, Jamaica’s most respected, most revered, most knowledgeable and most watched (on TV) journalist and media personality.

In terms of fame, the only other Jamaican journalist who was in the same category as Ian was the late Wilmot ‘Motty’ Perkins. Jamaica’s longest-running and most well-known local TV show, ‘Profile’, made Ian Boyne a household name throughout the length and breadth of Jamaica.

He interviewed everyone from Louis Farrakhan to Louise Bennett-Coverley. His exceptional success as an interviewer, columnist and talkshow host was because of the discipline and diligence with which he approached his craft, his honesty, hard work, and vast knowledge across a wide range of subject matters, including history, religion, theology, science, philosophy, political science and economics.

No wonder Ian once remarked that he had surpassed the standard of a PhD because of ever-expanding knowledge base he had acquired as a result of his prolific reading. Over the years, I’ve said, time and again, that Ian Boyne could, on any given day and at any given time, answer most or all of the questions on ‘Jeopardy’.

With his unexpected and untimely passing, Jamaica’s media galaxy has lost its most brilliant star. The nation has lost a treasure. PATRICK GALLIMORE pagalley@hotmail.com