Feb. 9, 2007 –- After years in public service, James O'Bryan Jr. was named Friday as general manager of Ackley Media Group (AMG) radio stations, which include WVWI Radio One.
Gordon Ackley, AMG president and CEO, said in a release, "We are pleased that Mr. O'Bryan has accepted the position of GM with our stations. We are excited to begin the new year with someone at the helm like James, who has an extensive background in public relations, proven dedication to our community and superior leadership skills."
This is not O'Bryan's first stint at Radio One. As a Charlotte Amalie High School student, O'Bryan, cut his teeth at the station. He mused about that on Friday.
"Since I was 15, I worked at the station," he said. "In fact, I was doing a weekly program, the 'Friday Forum,' and I was a disc jockey, too."
After college in the states, O'Bryan returned to Radio One. "That ended when I became press secretary for Gov. Farrelly in 1989," he said.
For the past week, the native St. Thomian has once again been at the microphone, hosting AMVI, along with veteran radio personality Lee Vanterpool.
In an interesting turnabout, former show host Barbara Petersen was recently named by Gov. John deJongh Jr. to O'Bryan's most recent post in the Turnbull administration, St. Thomas-Water Island administrator.
O'Bryan has a long public service career. He served one term as a senator in the 16th Legislature and was press secretary to Farrelly before assuming a similar position with the Turnbull administration. In between the Farrelly and Turnbull administrations, O'Bryan was press secretary for Delegate Donna M Christensen.
He has served as chair of the V.I. Democratic Party, chaired the governor's abandoned vehicle task force and was president of Virgin Islanders for Responsive Government. He also chaired a task force overseeing the rebuilding of the collapsed Sanderilla Thomas Bungalow in Rothschild Francis "Market" Square on St. Thomas.
O'Bryan, who holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications and political science from Boston University, says he is happy to be back in the media. He said, "I look forward to working in this new and challenging capacity where the company's media services can be expanded throughout the Virgin Islands and the extended Caribbean."
In June 2006, Ackley Media Group purchased Knight Quality Stations – comprising KISS-FM, 105 JAMZ, as well as Radio One.
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