Caribbean Radio Giant Irie Jam Strikes Deal With iHeart Radio

Irie Jam Radio, a leading Caribbean radio station in New York, has snagged an important partnership with leading radio broadcaster iHeartRadio to broadcast its stream to thousands of people in the Caribbean diaspora.

Irie Jam Radio, founded by Bobby Clarke, has been in operation for over three decades and promotes Jamaican and Caribbean culture to millions of descendants of Caribbean nationals who continue to carry on their cultural traditions in the United States.

The station has also served as a beacon in promoting the voices of Caribbean people through music and radio shows, an outlet that mainstream media has often looked past. iHeartMedia is a free all-in-one digital music, live streaming radio, and podcasting service, and now, Irie Jam Radio’s “Carib Star Radio” will join the platform starting January 2024.

According to a release from Irie Jam, Carib Star Radio’s integration into the iHeartRadio app will see the Caribbean music genres like dancehall, reggae, soca music, and others “reach new heights, capturing a wider audience while providing more bandwidth for advertisers to promote their brands and products”.

By expanding its reach to a national level, the station will not only cater to the Caribbean diaspora but also push the Caribbean music scene to a diverse audience across the United States.

The station will also include round-the-clock content on Caribbean business, fashion, food, sports, politics, and lifestyle.

Bobby Clarke OD, founder and CEO of Irie Jam Radio, in an invited comment, told Urban Islandz that the partnership with iHeart Radio will cement the work his station has been doing over the past three decades.

“It’s a great feeling to return to radio, working in radio for 30+ years and having such great relationships and a responsibility to our diaspora it’s a great feeling to be back on air,” he said.

He added, “Being on iHeart radio is definitely growth as we now have an international audience that we can reach. Allowing the culture, businesses, musicians, and or Caribbean diaspora a chance to reach millions with their brand, their music, and our culture, is a great feeling.”

Bernie Weiss, Region President of iHeartMedia New York, added, “We are excited to work with Bobby Clarke and the entire Irie Jam Radio team on bringing Caribbean music to a wider audience. iHeartRadio, with its more than 3 billion app downloads and more than 170 million registered users, is the perfect vehicle to do that.”