Veteran Radio Broadcaster Alan Magnus has died

Veteran radio broadcaster Alan Magnus has unfortunately passed away at the age of 80, as reported by Nationwide News. His death occurred on Friday, February 2, at his residence in Hope Pastures, St Andrew. Magnus, a proud alumnus of Kingston College, dedicated 46 years of his life to broadcast radio before retiring in 2017.

His career, albeit illustrious and long-lasting, also faced a fair share of personal tragedies, with the loss of his wife Kerry Magnus in 2019 due to Swine Flu and his frequent on-air partner Doraine Samuels, who died of pancreatic cancer only four days later.

Magnus initially began his journey in broadcasting as an engineer at a telephone company. However, his natural flair for the media eventually led him to switch careers. In his retiring years, Magnus expressed concerns regarding the growing number of media houses and a perceived decline in broadcasting standards. Nonetheless, he articulated no regrets from his time in the radio industry.

While he might have had a challenging start with RJR, over time a mutual understanding developed between them. Magnus consistently emphasized the need for professionalism within the media, particularly regarding the use of Standard English.

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. VWM

“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 accomplishing so much in his career, Alan Magnus hardly thought about his accolades. He considered himself fortunate to have a job that he loved so much he would do it for free, taking joy in entertaining and educating people in the mornings. He introduced popular segments during his morning show such as “Music In The Love Spot” and “Oldies But Goodies.”

“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.

Alan Magnus leaves behind a rich legacy in broadcast radio and his contributions to the field will always be remembered.