First-of-Its-Kind Assessment Reveals High Recovery Cost for Jamaica's Electronic Media Sector Following Hurricane Melissa

The UNESCO Office for the Caribbean and the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) recently released the first comprehensive rapid assessment of Hurricane Melissa's devastating impact on the country's electronic media sector, revealing unprecedented damage that has left 20% of media outlets non-operational and an estimated US$30 million needed for full recovery.

The groundbreaking survey, using UNESCO's Rapid Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) methodology, marks the first deployment of this tool to evaluate media sector damage. The assessment draws on responses from 23 licensees in Jamaica's electronic media landscape.

Approximately 70% of licensees are operating at partial capacity, while 20% remain completely non-operational, with over 20% reporting damage exceeding 75% of their facilities. The human toll has been equally severe: 112 media workers (4.5% of the workforce) have been displaced, injured, or are unable to work, while nearly 70% of operators reported severe financial losses.

Critical infrastructure damage includes collapsed transmission towers, destroyed headends, and distribution networks.