Veteran broadcaster, Deon Mattis will take her place as the new host of Mello FM’s weekday programme Mello Mix, aired Monday to Friday from 1 – 5 p.m.

Mattis, a seasoned broadcaster and household name in radio presenting, brings decades of industry experience and will add a layer of fun, passion and energy whilst keeping the tone warm and uplifting for listeners.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mello FM, Al Robinson said, “Mattis will fit excellently with the station’s format. She is a great choice. In addition to her flair, she will also bring an array of new, informative, and exciting features keen to Jamaican flavour.” 

Having over 20 successful years in the media industry, Robinson believes that the right move was made to have Deon Mattis on the team to work together to not only retain listeners but also appeal to those who are not listening to the radio.

Referring to the All Media Survey released June in 2023, he shared that only 900,000 people are listening to the radio. “Approximately 2 million Jamaicans are not tuned into radio, and this is evidence that radio is changing and as such our approach needs to be focused on growing audiences. Simply moving personalities around radio stations alone will not help. Not every personality fits every format”, says Robinson.

He added, “Take Radio Jamaica for example. Even after losing host Burgerman in 2021, their ratings went up considerably. This is evidence that personalities alone do not affect radio audiences. You must have personalities that complement the format of your station. Once you have this your ratings will gradually increase.”

Further emphasizing his point, Robinson referred to the station’s 9 years’ success with Barry G which saw the station ranked number 1 in afternoon radio. He noted that the reason for this success was that Barry G’s style complemented the station’s format. 

In speaking about the 2 million people not tuned in to radio, Robinson shared that his team is currently devising a strategy to convert 500,000 of those non-listeners into listeners.

Mello FM started in 2003 as a community-based station transmitting the airwaves of Western Jamaica and has since grown to be among the top three radio stations in Jamaica. Mello FM is part of the Mello Media Group which acquired the financially strapped HOT 102 and converted it to viability under the name Riddim FM. The group also operates Energy FM which will be an islandwide gospel station very soon. Understanding the need for diversification, Mello Media Group operates MELLO TV, the Mandeville Weekly, and the Jamaica Weekly newspapers.