KINGSTON, Jamaica — Shareholders of the Gleaner Company Limited have accepted the arrangement for the merger between its media business with Radio Jamaica.

Chairman of the Group Oliver Clarke has announced that 84 per cent of the shareholders have voted in favour of the arrangement and are awaiting results from the shareholders of the RJR Group.

If approved by both entities’ shareholders, it means that RJR will acquire a portion of the Gleaner Company, a subsidiary known as the Gleaner Company (Media) Limited which consists of the 180-year-old company’s newspaper, online, archives and radio content.

“The transaction is to strengthen us and ensure that we don’t stand still while others move. We are trying to ensure that our company earns foreign currency and we have chosen a strong company as well as we have taken an opponent to be an alliance,” managing director of the RJR Group Gary Allen told the audience earlier today.

“I look to see how the merged company will explode not just to the benefit of the company but to the benefit of Jamaica,” he added.

 The proposed merger is aimed at creating the only predominantly Jamaican-owned media house offering free-to-air and cable television channels, radio, print, online and the Over the Top Technology services.

Additionally, RJR and the Gleaner hope to create a stronger media organisation, leveraging each other’s strengths to capitalise on new global media opportunities. The merger is also expected to create economies of scale between the two entities.

Karena Bennett