( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) Sound Chat Radio Is The Future Of Caribbean Radio
ENSPIRE Contributor: Aubrey Campbell
Sound Chat Media Network is the home of Sound Chat Radio (SCR). It is a 24-hour, online medium, purposefully positioned right on the cutting edge of the digital superhighway, driven by technology.
Sound Chat Radio is the invention of Garfield “Chin” Bourne, CEO of Irish & Chin. Sound Chat Radio is known for its dancehall productions that have been taking place from coast to coast and around the world for the last quarter-century!
Above all, Garfield “Chin” Bourne is an entertainment and media visionary. However, Sound Chat Radio is not the only brand that Bourne has built from scratch; he is known for conceptualizing and popularizing internationally recognized brands in the entertainment space. These brands include World Clash, Reeewind, and the renowned Japanese sound system, Mighty Crown.
To say he has “been there, done that” would be the understatement of the decade. At just ten years old, SCR is one of the world’s largest Caribbean radio platforms “entertaining through music and educating through conversation.” The network boasts a high-profile and diverse roster of renowned radio personalities, DJs, sound system operators, and journalists whose shows feature music, interviews, and cutting-edge news perspectives and content.
“Chin,” as he is called by colleagues and contemporaries, prides himself on Sound Chat Radio’s unorthodox style of radio. The voice of the station is extremely vocal and interactive. The platform combines radio with TV and connects the Jamaican Diaspora with important topics that span: politics, business, sports, health, entertainment, and more.
Overall, if you can speak it, SCR will broadcast it. The diverse listening audience ranges from twenty-eight to seventy-one years old. What started as a one-of-a-kind “talk show,” soon morphed into a 24-hour, online station. It is now considered the blueprint for sound-based programming, spawning scores of similarly formatted shows, globally.
To show his support to his staff and on-air talent, “Chin” made sure to give back to the community throughout the years, despite the challenges associated with the pandemic.
Scores of listeners and patrons braved the conditions and the constraints at Easter, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Dinner (which benefited nearly 100 families), and the Christmas Grand Market Toy Give-Away (to children of listeners and to the public school PS 223) to show up at the flagship location in Queens, NY. All in attendance appreciated this demonstration of corporate responsibility and kindness.
On Saturday, January 29, 2022, the community of colleagues, politicians, and close associates braved the inclement weather for a live, in-person “appreciation affair” for the big benefactor, Garfield “Chin” Bourne, himself.
Planned behind the scenes and with little fanfare, the DJ was visibly surprised when he was presented with a citation from the Office of NYC Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, recognizing his pioneering spirit in media and culture.
The presentation was carried live on WVIP, 93.5 FM, and included messages and remarks from colleagues from Irie Jam, Link Up, and Grooving Radio, among others.
“This recognition is well and long overdue and deserving by someone whose core value is to recognize and award the unsung heroes of Jamaica’s popular culture,” noted a member of the team. It was a first for “Chin”. He appeared at a loss for words when it came time for a response. He was definitely humbled and honored to have been recognized in such a dramatic way.
The Next Frontier
It is safe to say, the first decade was to set the foundation, so now is time for upward growth and expansion. Morning and afternoon programs have been added for greater engagement. The aim here will be to provide a voice for the Diaspora to inform, discuss, explore, and lobby for change in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, especially related to health, commerce, criminal justice, public safety, community development, and civil responsibility. The program additions will also create opportunities to expand advertising reach for our corporate clients and future prospects.
Right next to the radio, is a television medium, Sound Chat TV, which features the stories of contributors to Reggae and Dancehall music and culture. The historical perspectives hail from both little-known and well-known talents, who tell their unprecedented stories and often best-kept secrets.
Also, being sound system inspired, this programming strives to preserve the personalities and perspectives that have and continue to shape the history and development of Jamaica’s popular music and culture.
For more information on Sound Chat Radio click here.
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