The Caribbean Islands are home to spectacular wonders, encompassing glassy blue waters, sugary white sand beaches, and absolute perfect spots for a top-notch vacation. Made up of dozens of territories within 1500 km and with a racially diverse population, the region is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. With only a few exceptions, the island nations comprising the Caribbean share a range of similarities that may include certain cultural aspects, traditions, and above all, the Caribbean spirit of life.
But no matter how closely connected the Caribbean natives were, culture-wise or otherwise, they longed for a platform where they could discard differences and form a united Caribbean. One such Caribbean national going above and beyond in an effort to connect his homeland through shared history and experiences is Frederick A. Morton, Jr. – the man behind the pan Caribbean TEMPO Networks television channel and media company that broadcasts and promotes everything from music, food, and tourism to religion and shared history in the region.
Home to more than forty million people, the Caribbean is a massive archipelago on the Caribbean Sea, with populations varying from 2000 in Saba to around 12 million in Cuba. Although united culturally, these 44 million Caribbeans had no common media, which was exactly what the islanders wanted for a long time. But TEMPO Networks, with its mantra of focusing on ‘all things Caribbean’, has now filled that void and has been providing Caribbean lovers region-specific content for the past 17 years.
Here’s a little back story on Frederick Morton himself. Growing up in St. Croix, and subsequently moving to New Jersey to attend college, Mr. Morton had set out to pursue a law career, which he successfully did. After getting his law degree from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University, he practiced law at various prestigious institutes, including the New York law firm of Simpson Thacher and Bartlett and Johnson & Johnson.
But the Caribbean lover could not get his heart and mind away from his heavenly homeland, so he instigated the idea of creating a Caribbean network when he served as MTV’s Head of Litigation at Viacom. Not only did he establish and manage TEMPO Networks at MTV but his enthusiasm and commitment to the channel also led him to acquire the channel itself, later on, to solely focus on producing quality content for it.
Seventeen years since its inception, the 24/7 cable TV station and media company is going strong, broadcasting Caribbean life and culture throughout the region to 5M viewers – a number that’s only ever increasing, together with millions on its social media and digital platforms.
“I always felt the Caribbean islands were more alike than different,” says Mr. Morton on his notion of connecting the Caribbean Islands through media. According to the visionary, TEMPO Networks is his dream – of creating a unifying and quality platform for the Caribbean – coming true.
Want to know ‘all things Caribbean’? Visit the TEMPO Networks website here.
