KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s media industry is in the throes of reinvention, and at the center of it all is Amber Group, which has assumed control of the former SportsMax studio from Digicel and will launch REVO TV, a 24/7 AI-driven digital television channel. The service officially goes live on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, debuting with full coverage of Jamaica’s 19th General Election, helmed by Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Cliff Hughes and his Nationwide News Network (NNN) team.
REVO TV: AI Meets Journalism
REVO TV is being paired with revonews.ai, a new platform designed to give audiences interactive access to archives, customized news experiences, and even a Cliff Hughes voice assistant capable of fielding questions and facilitating real-time discussion. According to Amber Group founder and CEO Ambassador Dushyant Savadia, the channel represents a “bold” step in merging technology with journalism: “REVO represents the future of media — bold, innovative, and designed to put power back into the hands of the people.”
In a re
lease sent to WMV, Cliff Hughes echoed that sentiment, calling the venture “a turning point for regional media”. He praised Amber’s track record in digital disruption, noting that combining its technology with Nationwide’s three decades of award-winning journalism could “show the path to resurgence, profitability, and greater shareholder value in broadcast media.”
Nationwide on the Move
As part of the transformation, Nationwide 90FM is preparing to relocate from its long-time home on Bradley Avenue to the Digicel Building on Kingston’s waterfront, taking over the very space once occupied by SportsMax. The move, people close to the matter said, is meant to reposition Nationwide as a digital-first news outlet ahead of the elections.
Digicel’s Retreat from Content
The launch of REVO TV follows Digicel’s wider withdrawal from digital content. In July, the telecom giant shuttered Loop News, its flagship digital platform across the Caribbean, and closed SportsMax, the region’s most prominent sports broadcaster, by August 8. These closures came after the earlier discontinuation of Digicel’s D’Music streaming service and PlayGo app, signaling a strategic pullback from media ventures.
Industry Consolidation and Print Pressures
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s two leading print competitors, the RJRGLEANER Communications Group (publishers of The Gleaner) and the Jamaica Observer, have signed an MOU to share printing and distribution services in an effort to cut costs. Both organizations emphasized editorial independence, but acknowledged that survival requires collaboration.
The pressures are stark: RJRGLEANER recently reported a pre-tax loss of $195 million for the quarter ending June 30, 2025, as advertising revenue fell and television and print units continued to decline. Despite expense cuts, the company said it is banking on digital transformation, diaspora markets, and partnerships—like the Observer arrangement—to regain profitability.
The company is set to cut back on their cable operations and make redundant several positions come September.
