Established in 1997, the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) is the primary public broadcaster of Jamaica. It was formed after the previous public media outlet, Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), collapsed primarily due to financial problems.
Media assets
Television: PBCJ
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Funded (ISF)
Ownership and governance
The Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) was established as a public service corporation through a parliamentary act in 1997 and began operating a few years later. It is governed by a board of 19 members appointed by the General Governor, who is the head of state and representative of the British Queen in Jamaica. However, the majority of these members are appointed from a list of individuals supported by independent organizations, including civil society groups, churches, and students, in accordance with the PBCJ Law. That ensures the broadcaster’s operational independence from the government.
PBCJ is under the authority of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), a semi-autonomous government agency providing communication services to ministries, state agencies, and government bodies. JIS’ history dates back to 1956 when the Government Public Relations Office (GPRO) was established. In 1963, the GPRO became the Jamaica Information Service, which also included a television division. The organization was renamed the Agency for Public Information (API) in 1974 but was renamed back to Jamaica Information Service in 1980. In 1984, some of JIS’s responsibilities were transferred to the newly-formed Jamaica Press (JAMPRESS), the country’s flagship news agency. In 2001, JIS and JAMPRESS were merged to form an executive agency led by a CEO.
Source of funding and budget
PBCJ secured the funding required for its startup operations by selling assets from the previous public media company. Despite initial plans for PBCJ to receive funding from non-governmental sources, the corporation still relies mainly on government funding, as local experts interviewed for this report said in May 2024.
In the 2023-2024 Jamaican state budget, the government has allocated funds for broadcasting across various expenditure lines. However, it is not entirely clear that all the financing will go to the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ). Specifically, a total of JMD 582m (US$ 3.72m) is allocated for personnel and management expenses incurred by PBCJ. The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) also has a budget of JMD 948m (US$ 6m) for broadcasting and publishing services, as outlined in a government budget report.
Editorial independence
No evidence of government editorial control at the PBCJ was found during the latest research conducted for this report. Thanks to the diverse composition of its board, the station is relatively free to focus on its public service mission, which includes a strong educational component.
No domestic statute or independent assessment and oversight mechanism to validate the editorial independence of PBCJ’s channels has been identified.
August 2024