Company Information
The Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) was established in Jamaica pursuant to an act of Parliament on June 25, 1997. In keeping with the charge given by Parliament in 1997, the Corporation’s purpose is to provide broadcasting service of high quality in areas of education, artistic expression, news and parliament affairs, culture and to promote good governance, the rights of the individual and many other services consistent with modern broadcasting facilities.
In 2004, the Governor General appointed 15 individuals representing civic groups and organizations to the Board for three (3) years, in order that the organization could benefit from a wide cross-section of views and ideas about the scope, nature and functions of this critical communication entity. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and the Chief Executive Officer would be ex-officio members of the Board. Our Board members were representatives from the following organizations:
* Providers Community – Based Radio Service
* Jamaica Professional Societies
* Jamaica Video Producers Association
* Bureau of Women’s Affairs
* Private Sector Organization of Jamaica
* Non-Governmental Organization
* Jamaica Association of Full Gospel Churches
* Jamaica Cultural Development Commission
* Western Union of Seventh Day Adventists
* Joint Trade Union Research Development Council
* Tourism Product Development Company Limited
* Rastafarian Centralized Organization
* National Secondary Students’ Council
* National Council on Education
* National Council for Sports
The Term of the Board of Directors came to an end in August 2007.
With the kind assistance of the ministry of Information and financial grants from the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the Corporation managed to develop a modus operandi which enabled it to, among other achievements:
* Re-Establish and refurbish administrative offices at 5 South Odeon Avenue
* Purchase state of the art equipment for digital video editing suites
* Organize a successful launch of the Corporation
* Hire competent administrative staff to carry out the work of PBC Jamaica
* Commission a study to properly guide the establishment of National Public Radio in Jamaica
* Successfully complete test transmissions and air broadcasts of Holiday Specials during the Christmas season, Easter and Emancipendance periods since August 2006
* Recruit a Chief Executive Officer in September 2007
Since September 2007 to date PBCJ has achieved the following:
* Installation of cameras in Gordon House to facilitate live broadcasts of proceedings
* Live coverage of the proceedings of Parliament, the Senate, Post Cabinet briefings and the Youth parliament
* 24 hour test transmissions on assigned cable channels in Kingston and St. Andrew; St Catherine; Manchester; St. Ann; St James and Trelawney
* Live Broadcast of the PBCJ Dedicatory and Christmas Services
* Filming of the audition for the world Championship of the Performing Arts
* Non-Governmental Organization
* Acquisition of official transportation
* Improvement of Security at the premises with the installation of an electronic security system and perimeter lights
* Significant upgrade of the main television studio
The PBCJ carries as part of its programming:
* Coverage of events of National and Regional Interest
* Dissemination of Balanced News, Current Affairs, Information and Ideas on matters of general public interest
* Information on weather and Sporting Activities, especially at the community level
* Education, literary and artistic features and presentations
* Content provided by independent producers from Jamaica, the Caribbean and its Diaspora
In the relentless pursuit of its mandate, reinforced by the Hon. Prime Minister in his inaugural speech to parliament, the Corporation must urgently address those matters which are critical to its operation and which will impact both its short and long term goals. In this regard, the Corporation is currently seeking to obtain from the Ministry of Finance, approval to operate additional key technical posts, in order to achieve efficiency in the critical area of television. There is also need to complete the purchase of equipment, necessary for viewing, converting and non-linear editing. Finally in order to avoid the current costly and impractical method of outsourcing transmission equipment, the PBCJ needs to acquire its own transmission facilities. This will afford the corporation the desired control over programme quality and continuity.
The Corporation is facing many financial challenges in its attempt to implement its planned programme of activities. By way of meeting these challenges, the Corporation wishes among other endeavours to secure all duly outstanding funds from the National Investment Bank of Jamaica (NIBJ), consequent on the divestment of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. This, along with our usual monthly subvention would serve to significantly cover our operating expenses for the 2008/9 financial year.
The Corporation plans to “earn its own way” by:
* Rental of its premises
* Studio rental
* Production services
* Programme sponsorship among other services
* There are also plans to begin public radio services in September, 2009.
The Corporation looks to the future, convinced that PBCJamaica will provide public radio and television services of the highest quality to Jamaica, the Caribbean and its Diaspora.
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