Last summer, when New York based WVIP 93.5 FM radio was sold to a Texas-based religious company for US$8.15 million, it brought an abrupt end to Jamaican/Caribbean programs on the platform. For 40 years, WVIP was the main source for news, sports and entertainment news from Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean and the premier advertising platform for brands like Grace Kennedy, Golden Krust, Western Union, Caribbean Food Delights, Jamaica National, Digicel and Flow.
On May 1, 2024, Roadblock Radio will begin broadcasting 24x7 Jamaican/Caribbean content on Audacy, 101.1FM HD3 in the tri-state area.
"It is a big, big deal that Roadblock Radio will broadcast reggae, dancehall and soca music and Caribbean programs on the same platform as iconic American stations such as 1010 WINS, CBS Sports, FAN Sports and CBS FM 101.1 FM - the flagship station on the Audacy platform," station founder and CEO Kacy 'G City' Rankine told Riddim Style Magazine.
Audacy, Inc., the third-largest radio company in the USA, owns 235 radio stations across 48 media markets. In November 2017, the company merged with CBS Radio, the undisputed leader in news and sports radio. CBS Radio reaches more than 72 million consumers nationwide each week.
Roadblock Radio will operate a state-of-the-art studio in Newark, New Jersey. The station will cover New Jersey, Pennsylvania, parts of Connecticut, and New York, which are home to over 1.5 million Caribbean nationals.
Rankine, born in Kingston and attending Ardenne High School, migrated to the US in 1990. His first business venture was a clothing store (G City Urban Wear) on 18th Avenue in Irvington, New Jersey.
He expanded the business to include a record store, a marketing company, and an internet radio station. His company, G City Entertainment LLC, promoted major concerts like 'Sounds of Greatness' and the New Jersey Reggae Festival with music stalwarts like Shabba Ranks, Beres Hammond, Capleton, Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Reggae Queen Marcia Griffiths, Ninjaman, Sanchez, and Coco Tea, among others.
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