St Bess cable channel BOJ TV goes national

André Gordon, Gleaner Writer

SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth:

After years of yearning for its own local content, residents of St Elizabeth can now be at ease, with the launch of BOJ TV (Best of Jamaica TV), which is a subsidiary of Super K Studios.

The cable station, based at Sky View Plaza in Santa Cruz, has been in operation for the past six months.

"Even though we started in St Elizabeth, we would like to think of ourselves as a national station," said Simone McLeggon, sales and marketing executive.

"We are also reflecting what is happening in the entertainment scene. Viewers can now look forward to seeing local parties, shows, and other entertainment events in their living rooms. We are committed to local programming, and it is quite apparent that we don't get enough of that in Jamaica at present."

While the programme schedule appears erratic, there has been a push to refine it and launch into other markets by year-end.

The station has unveiled a slew of programmes, which have instantly gathered a following among local cable viewers. The content includes eight programmes featuring local talents such as 'Street Link', 'The Catalyse-News', and 'Hits'.

Local personalities such as former Miss St Elizabeth Festival Queen Kerry-Ann Brown and Andreue 'Dirue' Robinson have been catapulted into instant celebrity status since the debut of their media careers with the station.

BOJ TV has also ventured into sports with a weekly coverage of local sporting activities such as daCosta Cup football games in St Elizabeth. There are plans to incorporate a local news package in short order.