How Radio Transitioned Over the Decades  

Radio continues to be a key medium for news, public announcements, information, and entertainment in Belize. Even though the internet and online broadcasting have gained popularity, radio still has a loyal audience. In this week’s edition of Kolcha Tuesday, we spotlight three radio personalities. Two have transitioned to other media, while one has been a staple on the airwaves for an impressive thirty-one years. News Five’s Marion Ali brings us their stories.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The iconic intro that signaled the start of the 12:30 radio newscast every afternoon is something many people from the 1980s and 90s remember fondly. The Broadcasting Corporation of Belize, which ran Radio Belize and Friends FM, was a government-operated station that closed its doors in 1998. By then, two private stations, KREM and Love FM, had already made their mark, with KREM being the first privately-owned station. Although Albert Anthony Wright, better known as Tony Wright, has since moved on from KREM FM, he’s still a beloved figure in the entertainment scene, spinning your favorite Belizean tunes that celebrate our rich cultural heritage. Tony shared that it was this very music that first drew him to radio decades ago. His big break as an announcer came after the release of his second album.

 

Tony Wright, Former Radio Announcer, Krem FM

“ My first time really there on radio. And that was back in 1995. Actually we start there, the show the 3rd of February.”

 

Marion Ali

The show’s name is –

 

Tony Wright

“Belizean Musicians Past and Present and we started that the 3rd of February  and then the 10th of February, this was where we first get the first and guests really. And the show take off from there. Then I created Belizean beat. And then, um, the following year, they wanted something for the Christmas, a Christmas program. And so they call me up and they say, Well, what are you doing? You have a show, you got two hours, you know, and the radio, and so do a show, and so we do. I begin Saturday morning special.”

 

Wright now hosts his own show, the Saturday Morning Special, on his Facebook page every Saturday from 9:30 AM to noon. George Tillett, now a well-known videographer with News Five, started his career back in 1980 as a technician for the now-defunct Radio Belize. He was responsible for servicing and managing the transmitting sites. When Friends FM launched, George joined their maintenance team. He recalls that the training and equipment back then were worlds apart from what we have today—like night and day.

 

George Tillett, Former Technician, Broadcasting Corporation of Belize

“I was a part of the maintenance team, servicing, oh, you can name it, the tape recorders, it was cassette recorders. You have, um, reel to reel. You have, um, amplifiers and turntables, you know, that play the thirty-three and a half and forty five records. What I was trained to do back then, is, I would be lost right now, if I, if I ever try to repair anything that is modern.”

 

We caught up with Lisa Kerr, better known as Lisa Love, broadcasting live from her home today. After nearly thirty-one years, she’s still a beloved host at Krem Radio. Lisa’s journey into radio began while she was working as an overnight dispatcher at another company.

 

Lisa Love, Radio Announcer, Krem FM

“ We were not allowed to have radios for destruction.  We were supposed to be focused and I took in a little radio to keep me company when my guys are not calling in to give their report. So I had my little radio there and sometimes at 5 a. m. somebody would be on Krem Radio and sometimes nobody would be on Krem Radio. So there was a morning JC was on, so I called the station and I said, you know, how come somebody’s there sometimes and then  Um, there are other times nobody is there and the music you guys play are very good. I like the music. It’s music that I grew up on.  And he said, well the person, the late Sweets the Lord Bennet, was the one who had the ship at the time. And Sweets was not too well all the time.  So, JC was like, why, you want it?  I’m like, okay.”

 

As George and Tony Wright mentioned, the transition over time has been remarkable, thanks to advancements in technology.

George Tillett

“All mistakes you have to cut and paste. And this was time consuming to get it ready for a broadcast.  You know, and  the next thing, it was the same thing with cassettes. You have to find that spot that was that was a bad, sometimes the, the tape would chew up, you know, and you have to, you have to splice the tape, join them, and it would take a while, you know to get it ready for that broadcast.”

 

Tony Wright

“1981 was when I did my really first recording, and that was a read of the years. I did a, I did a, um, song about independence.  We were just getting our independence, and I did that at Redo Belize. But at the time, they were recording this thing. I’m so big, real, whatever it is. So, we did the recording.”

 

Lisa Love shared that now, as the one in charge of the music and program planning, she continues to play the same beloved cultural tunes. She also makes sure to highlight the unique aspects of the different parts of the country she broadcasts from.

 

Lisa Love

“ If we go to Dangriga, we highlight Dangriga. We go to Fiji, we highlight the culture. We do our research, do what we need to do, and we broadcast that. If we, I mean, we could be in Hattieville doing something. You would know about Hattieville. We go to Crooked Tree each year, Cashew Fest. You know about Crooked Tree, Cashew Fest.”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.