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RJRGLEANER Journalist Michael Sharpe has died

Michael Sharpe spoke about his career with host Dionne Jackson Miller on October 23, 2020

 

Michael Sharpe, the longest serving journalist in the RJRGLEANER Group, died Tuesday morning. He was 65 years old.

At the time of his passing he was News Operations Manager at Jamaica News Network, part of the RJRGLEANER Group, but he still had a presence on Radio Jamaica, being a relief host on the talkshow, Hotline, and also did the morning traffic report once per week. 

Michael Sharpe joined the staff of Radio Jamaica in March, 1984, shortly after distinguishing himself while covering the Grenada Invasion in October, 1983. Prior to that he had also worked briefly at The Gleaner and Jamaica Information Service, having returned from journalism studies in New York.

It was at Radio Jamaica and its expanded network of media outlets that he primarily made his reputation as a hard driving reporter and news editor. He won national recognition for his coverage of the one-party parliament in the 1980s, and started the morning feature, Inside Gordon House, in which he provided colourful details of the proceedings the day after the sittings of the House of Representatives and on Monday mornings, reflecting on what happened in the Senate on Fridays.

He served as Deputy News Editor for RJR News in the 1990s and also hosted a nighttime talkshow - Sharp Talk. That show served as an outreach vehicle for many disadvantaged persons who brought their needs and concerns to him. That led to many fund raising efforts to alleviate some of those needs and an initiative to send some with kidney related illnesses to Cuba for treatment, at a time when such care was not as readily available in Jamaica. 

After the acquistiion of JBC Television, renamed Television Jamaica (TVJ), he served briefly as head of television news before the radio and television newsroom were merged. He co-anchored Primetime News on TVJ with Dorraine Samuels for more than a decade.  

REACTIONS

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, reacting to the death of Michael Sharpe, offered condolences to "his family, friends and wider journalism fraternity as we remember his unwavering service to media and Jamaica".

Mr Holness said of Michael Sharpe that for almost 40 years he had "dedicated himself to the craft of journalism and keeping Jamaica informed".

"Michael was fearless and sharp in his coverage and commentary," he observed.

RJRGLEANER Group CEO Gary Allen

The RJRGLEANER Communications Group mourns the death of our friend and colleague Michael Sharpe. His passing today has hit us hard.

All of us! Very hard!

Michael who was 65 years old had been ill and hospitalized for almost a month.

We pay tribute to him for the long, faithful and excellent service he has given to this Group, to our profession and our country. Michael has been an inspiration to so many, a mentor to so many, a manager to so many and a friend to so many. He has been a true friend and colleague. He was a fine team player.

Michael has been associated with Radio Jamaica and the RJRGLEANER Communications Group for more than 35 years. He has been a reporter, a talk show host, a broadcaster, a radio news presenter, a TV news anchor, a TV programme presenter, a programme producer, an assistant radio news editor, a head of TV news, a web editor, a supervisor, a manager, an innovator, and a mentor.

He was known for being punctual, selfless, fearless, serious, jovial, practical, professional, kind, witty and so much more. He adopted the mantra of one of his mentors Terry Smith that in all you do “kill them with excellence”.

The expanse of Michael’s skills and experience is shown in numerous programmes and features he did in our Group. They include: On Radio – Inside Gordon House, The Jazz

Jam, Sharpe Talk, Hotline, Morning Traffic Reports. On Television – TVJ’s Prime Time News, Your Issues Live, TVJ’s Exposure, JNN’s Frontline News and JNN’s The Exchange.

Michael served in management as a news supervisor, assistant news editor – radio, news editor television and head of news operations at JNN.

He has been associated with some notable assignments, including coverage of the US Invasion of Grenada in 1983, the coup attempt in Trinidad and Tobago in 1990, a Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Uganda, numerous general and local government elections, crises and disasters – Hurricanes Gilbert and Ivan, among them. He was most recently and most notably the Executive Producer of TVJ’s very successful 2020 General Election coverage.

Our Boards of Directors, Management and Staff extend our condolences to Michael’s family, close friends and associates.

 

 

 

 

 

 



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