Veteran Jamaican broadcaster Alan Magnus, an icon of morning radio, has passed away at the age of 80. The sad news was reported by Nationwide News. Magnus, an alumnus of Kingston College, breathed his last on he evening of Friday February 2 at his residence in Hope Pastures, St Andrew.
With an illustrious career spanning 46 years, Magnus retired in 2017, leaving behind a lasting legacy in broadcast radio. His Wife Kerry Magnus died in 2019 from the Swine Flu and four days later his one air partner Doraine Samuels died from pancreatic cancer.
Known for his infectious laughter and good-natured banter, Magnus started his broadcasting as an engineer with the telephone company, he was drawn to media due to his natural knack for it.
In his later life Magnus lamented the proliferation of media houses and a decline in broadcasting standards but saying there is nothing he regrets during his time on radio.
“I’m pretty happy with the way things have worked out. RJR and I have had a rocky start but now we’ve developed a mutual understanding that works. For me though to lift the level of professionalism in media we need to address the use of Standard English. I still want to know when the word ‘team’ became plural! I hear too many grammatical mistakes in our news casts. Back in the day you had to do 3 to 4 months of training. You are given words to learn and pronounce. It was months before I even saw a microphone. Now you see someone who starts today and tomorrow they are on the air. Just like that.”
Despite a rocky start with RJR, he appreciates the mutual understanding they’ve developed. Magnus emphasizes the need for professionalism in media, particularly regarding the use of Standard English. While humble about accolades, he views himself as fortunate to have found a job he would do for free, finding joy in entertaining and educating people each morning.
“I don’t really look at things like that. I think I’m one of the luckiest persons around as I’ve found a job that I would probably have done for free! I actually look forward to work every morning. It’s about entertaining people and to a lesser extent educating them and as long as I can do that, I’m happy,” Magnus told Buzzz Magazine ten years ago.
Among the segments made popular by Magnus during his morning show was “Music In The Love Spot,” “Oldies But Goodies.”
Alan recorded and moonlighted as singer music under the moniker “Teddy Magnus” where he released several songs for Trojan Records. His most notable recording is the 1971 song “Flying Machine.”
