'Yaadinfo' is comedy,news, Jamaica unplugged

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

It is a Thursday afternoon and Nicole Brown is in studio, setting the stage for a broadcast. She says "Thank you for joining us on Yaadinfo, the lighter side of Jamaican news," then gives a list of the items slated for discussion. Among them are the alleged Dudus tip-off and Tony Rebel's message to Parliament.

She contributes to the discussion sporadically after that, Andrew Hewitt and Christopher 'Johnny' Daley carrying the bulk of the discussion. Hewitt is the obvious resource man (when they discuss missing funds at the Finance Ministry, Hewitt refers to the Zekes millions that disappeared and Johnny says "me love how Andrew give the background every time"), while Daley gives the best of the laughs (discussing the passion in Parliament, he says "Me waan some shoes a fling an' coco a get".)

However, in the approximately half-hour that the show runs there are no callers - which is expected, as the three are doing a podcast, to be posted online and available at www.yaadinfo.com.

Posted on Thursdays, with back editions also available, each podcast is summarised, so the potential reader can assess the content before deciding to 'tune in'. The most recent edition deals with Daryl Vaz and Contractor General Greg Christie, the mounting cost of the Tivoli operation, the latest Manatt, Phelps & Phillips development and the issue of drugs at the top tier of Jamaican track and field. The alleged tipping off of Dudus, Raymond Stewart's ban, Dudus' capture and the World Cup are among past Yaad Info items.

Global following

The week's recording over, Hewitt told The Sunday Gleaner, "the intention is to cover issues that sometimes people ignore. We add humour, we try to ensure that we have facts, have details." The main target audience is the Jamaican Diaspora, though that does not mean an exclusion of Jamaicans in Jamaica.

Hewitt said there have been listeners from Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and South Africa. The bulk of the audience comes from the US, especially on the eastern seaboard, with a "good following" from the United Kingdom.

With Brown and Hewitt collating data and updating Daley ahead of each recording, he said, "I think the strongest thing I can bring to this show is how we are as Jamaicans. We are a laughy-laughy people. If a man is listening in on his computer in Alaska, he can get some of the heat from Jamaica." Daley appreciates the room he gets to express himself, saying "the podcast is refreshing. I am given the room to meander."

There have been guests, among them entertainers Stacious and LA Lewis (speaking about his abstinence stance) and attorney-at-law Bert Samuels (extradition matters).

Brown said, "I like to ask questions that perhaps neither of the guys would ask, to be the social conscience of the podcast. I don't go the humorous side (Hewitt interjects "you have been known to have your wisecracks now and then")."

Hewitt, the moving force behind Yaadinfo, said that in addition to visiting the website, listeners can also subscribe to the podcast, which will then be forwarded to them weekly. It can be accessed on smartphones with the required software and he points out that "it is really an MP3 file." Before starting the podcast, now into episode seven, Hewitt said a survey showed that while eight per cent of the market listened to podcasts, 92 per cent gets their new online.

Wide range of issues

"I think there is a void, I think there is a need," he said.

Among Brown's favourite Yaadinfo tapings so far are the LA Lewis discussion. Daley enjoyed the exploration of Vybz Kartel's encounters with the security forces, and among Hewitt's preferred clips is the long-standing connection between Mannat, Phelps & Phillips and the Jamaica Labour Party.

While entertainment will be a part of the programme, Yaadinfo will not be entertainment driven. Hewitt said "we talk about a wide range of issues. I would like people to listen." He hopes action will follow with the knowledge that has been provided.

"If something is to be done you have a little more knowledge to say 'this is what is to be done, let us tackle this thing,'" Hewitt said.