We at Barbados TODAY join in paying tribute to veteran broadcaster Dennis Johnson. We endorse all that has been said and written about him from all quarters. It was on Tuesday night that we received the news of the passing of one of our own, a fallen comrade in media.
Johnson, 64, succumbed after years of gallant battle with chronic illness.
From Government to the average caller to the Down To Brasstacks radio talk show on VOB 92.9 FM he hosted, words of kindness have flowed.
The Barbados Association of Journalists and Media Workers (BARJAM) said in a statement that it was saddened at the loss of one of the finest, professional broadcasters of the last two decades in Barbados and the Caribbean.
BARJAM said: “As a veteran broadcaster, he had a love and deep conviction for the industry and used his wide knowledge and skills developed from his work over the years across the Caribbean in banking and hospitality, to always offer a word of advice to ensure professional standards were always maintained.
“A man of many talents, Dennis showed that he was not only able to easily engage the attention of thousands of listeners on Voice of Barbados’ Brasstacks programme as a talk show host, but he exhibited his passion for radio as a disc jockey, where he demonstrated his extraordinary skills and knowledge of music to a much wider audience.”
There is no doubt that the media fraternity has been dealt a colossal blow due to his death. His contribution, which spanned more than 20 years, is the testimony of his love and commitment to the role of the media.
From his utterances, bearing many a strong conviction, it was clear to all how Dennis Johnson felt about the profession and the important role it plays in a progressive society.
He was no mere radio personality. He was an educator who stuck to two very vital mandates of a journalist: to inform and educate. Even his vast knowledge of all genres of music was impressive, showing a much-admired love of Caribbean music.
Many announcers play track after track without commentary; others would play a song and merely identify the artiste. Dennis Johnson would tell listeners the song’s title, the singer, the composer and the year the song was released – and the backstory. He did this both from memory and research. He was often able to reveal the connections of instrumentalists performing with one artist on a track, and that individual’s collaborations on other musical works. He was meticulous and always prepared for broadcasting.
He lent his voice to the critique and development of all aspects of Barbados’ culture. He was in his element when he hosted the Fireworks call-in programme that was aired during the Crop Over season.
Passionate about current affairs, Johnson would be excited by cricket and politics. Yet he was professional in his approach, always seeking out those basic tenets of journalism: truth and fact. He was balanced, fair and fearless.
He understood his responsibility as a media practitioner and took his listening and viewing audience along with him whether he was at Starcom Network or the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.
Truth is when it comes to media in Barbados and the vagaries that can often accompany the profession, one would hardly find a journalist that has not worked at more than one media house. It is almost par for the course.
Media bosses move from organisation to organisation and so do the staff. Relationships are formed with so-called rival practitioners and many lasting friendships are formed.
While we compete to a certain degree since we always seek to have that one story or programme that draws the public to our respective media houses, a competition that ultimately benefits the audience, the relationships formed over the years and the camaraderie in the fraternity far outweigh all the other stuff, real or perceived.
There have been stories told where reporters share audio clips with their colleagues. Videographers share video footage and photographers share pictures if an assignment is missed.
So the news of Johnson’s death has touched a person at the rival broadcasters in The Pine just as much as it has to the colleagues who sat next to him in River Road.
Our daily duties are often gruelling, whether in doing back-to-back assignments from morning to night, covering an outside broadcast for hours on end, staying up all night as a storm comes and goes and just keeping people company. Much of that comes with scrutiny or criticism, both warranted and petulant. What often makes one endure is a fellow worker who understands these often thankless tasks.
We are united by the same cause, the same passion, the same love of our profession. Therefore, news about one of us – tragic or happy – tends to affect us all.
We join the nation in thanking Dennis Johnson for his dedication to the art and service of communication, his hard work, his unwavering commitment to media and his love of a country that is all richer for having received that service. We will miss him and the guidance he offered so many throughout the years. He has left an indelible mark and memories of him will linger on.
On behalf of our chairman, the management and staff of Barbados TODAY Inc., we offer sincere condolences to Dennis Johnson’s family, friends, loved ones, the entire media fraternity and the national audience he respected and cared for. May he rest in peace.
