THREE veteran media personalities, who have contributed a combined 153 years to their profession, were celebrated by the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) yesterday at the annual Wray & Nephew-sponsored Veteran’s lunch at Spanish Town Road, Kingston.

The three media luminaries are: Keith Brown, a founding member of the Public Relations Society of Jamaica (PRSJ; Clarence ‘Ben’ Brodie, long-standing print journalist; and Lindy Delapenha, sports editor of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), the

now-defunct radio and television complex.

Among veterans who came out to hail the honorees were communication consultant and talk show host Barbara Gloudon, a life member of the PAJ; Wyvolyn Gager, the first woman editor-in-chief of The Gleaner newspaper; Fae Ellington, outstanding broadcaster and lecturer; Christine King, former executive editor of the Herald newspaper; Franklyn McKnight, news editor of IRIE-FM radio; Jenni Campbell, immediate past president of the PAJ; the multi-awarded photographer Headley ‘Dellmar’ Samuels; Leroy Brown, brother of Keith; Doreen Brown; Desmond Richards, past president of the PAJ; Dahlia Harris, broadcaster and playwright; Wilton Dyer, former head of information at the Foreign Ministry; Winston Witter, former talkshow host; and Byron Buckley, former PAJ president, among others.

Gager, McKnight and Desmond Allen were recognised by current PAJ president Dionne Jackson Miller for receiving the Order of Distinction, for outstanding contribution to journalism in this year’s National Honours and Awards. Business journalist Owen James and lifestyle journalist Novia McDonald-Whyte also received the OD.

Brodie was described by Richards as “in his own words, an unrepentant newspaperman” who started his journalism career at The Gleaner in 1963. He was variously sports editor, news editor and Sunday Gleaner editor; news editor and sports editor at the defunct Jamaica Daily News; co-founder of the Sports ‘N’ Arts newspaper; the Boulevard News, now the News; president of the PAJ from 1978 to 1983; president of the Union of Journalist and Allied Journalists; and recipient of a bronze Musgrave Medal.

Brodie, better known as Ben, is a strong believer in moulding young journalists and a “serious agitator” on behalf of media workers, Richards added.

Delapenha, who surprised his younger colleagues by looking so well preserved at 87 years old, having survived a heart attack was hailed by Ellington as a “great human being quite apart from being a great journalist”. She said Delapenha was an all-rounder at sports and left Jamaica at 17 to go to the United Kingdom, serving in the Second World War and later becoming the first overseas blackman to play first division football in England.

He returned to Jamaica in 1965 and joined the JBC as a sportscaster, going on to become head of sports and one of the most admired broadcasters, notably on television’s Morning Time. To have Lindy as a friend “is to have a friend for life,” Ellington said.

Harris described Brown as a broadcaster who was passionate about excellence and high standards in his work. He respected his work and his viewers and went to lengths to prepare to read the sports news on TV. He was a consummate PR man who founded the PRSJ and was one of the first to join the International Association of Business Communicators. She also recalled that he was the first Jamaican to receive a scholarship to attend the Thompson Foundation training course in England; and he is a greater lover of music.

Master of Ceremonies was Dr Michael Abrahams.