TV anchor, public relations man Doug Hoyte dies, aged 75

Doug Hoyte, one of the best-known faces in Barbadian television news, died overnight following a brief illness, just a month shy of his 76th birthday.

Details of his death were not immediately available.

Hoyte returned to Barbados in 1991 after an extensive career in media and communications in the United States since 1968. He was a television reporter in Tampa, Florida and briefly served as the first press secretary to Florida Governor Bob Martinez.

He served as the General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) from April 2016 until 2018, after pioneering joint anchoring of the “CBC Evening News” with then news director, Sharon Marshall, through the 1990s.

He was also the lead host of the breakfast television programme “Mornin’ Barbados”. Hoyte held senior communications roles, including director of communications at Almond Resorts and helming his own public relations firm, Mountbatten Communications.

Colleagues remembered Hoyte for his on-screen presence, professionalism, and his contributions as a trusted and familiar media figure over several decades.