Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart inducted into Caribbean Media Hall of Fame

The late Chairman of the Jamaica Observer, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, became the latest inductee into the Caribbean Media Hall of Fame when he was welcomed into the hallowed body at a virtual ceremony on Monday at the start of the 52nd Annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU).

Chairman of the Selection Panel for the Awards, Vic Fernandes, who was the longest-serving president of the CBU, said his panel of adjudicators saw a body of national and international contribution at a high level from the inductee, which qualified him for their recommendation.

Stewart, who died in January, was also hailed for his contribution to other media organisations to which he contributed at the board level, including the Express Newspaper and Caribbean Communications Network in Trinidad and Tobago.

In a citation read in his honour, Stewart was also recognised for the advertising support that his businesses gave to media in the region in more than half a dozen countries. It was noted that his Sandals Resorts business also operated an Environmental Media Awards programme for several years, where journalists were awarded for work done in reporting on ecological matters and how they affected the region’s ecosystems.

It was also noted that Stewart had seen to the expansion of their media entities to now include two radio stations, one of which, in its first few years of operation, gained a top five rating in listenership in Jamaica.

Current Chairman of Sandals Adam Stewart expressed delight at his late father being recognised with an induction into the Caribbean Media Hall of Fame. He says his entire family was thrilled by the news and are honoured by the recognition.

The Caribbean Media Hall of Fame has been operated by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union for more than two decades and is considered the highest level of recognition for media owners and workers in the region.