Days after a devastating fire gutted the Paul’s Avenue studios of Boom 106.9 and IK TV, station owner Dwight “Bing” Joseph is speaking out about the tragic loss, his daring rescue of a priceless family memento, and the station’s miraculous return to the airwaves.
The fire, which erupted just after midnight on a Thursday, is the culminating event in a gruelling two months for the broadcaster. Joseph, who suffers from diabetes, revealed that he recently survived two serious car crashes caused by passing out behind the wheel due to low blood sugar.
The first accident, which occurred two months ago and totaled his vehicle, led his doctor to insist on a month-long medical leave for internal injuries. Undeterred, Joseph attempted to return to his grueling radio schedule but crashed into a wall just one day before the fire. Following the old adage shared by his mother and former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell, Joseph noted that “things come in threes”.
Joseph’s world was upended when he received frantic, late-night calls from a Paul’s Avenue resident warning him of a massive blaze next to the station. Joseph drove himself to the scene to find an adjacent wooden house completely engulfed in flames. Initially, it appeared the fire department, led by Sergeant Phillips, had the blaze under control, and Joseph felt his concrete building might be spared. However, the situation rapidly deteriorated as the fire spread and the roof began to cave in.
In a moment of desperation, Joseph bypassed strict orders from fire officials and rushed into the pitch-black, smoke-filled building without a mask. Guided only by the voices of his staff members who were already inside, Joseph had one mission: to retrieve a cherished photograph of himself and his daughter at her graduation.
“Anybody know me, they know my daughter is my life,” Joseph explained, noting the photo’s deep emotional value following his daughter’s severe childhood injuries and subsequent surgeries. Moments after he was pulled to safety by his shirt, the building’s roof entirely collapsed.
The fire completely destroyed the state-of-the-art studios, which featured modern, customized desks and a massive sound system.
Joseph estimated that nearly $1 million in equipment and personal assets were reduced to ash. Tragically, while the building itself is covered by the landlord’s insurance, Joseph revealed that he did not carry any contents insurance for his equipment. The blaze also claimed the neighbouring properties, including a local mas camp that had recently invested $20,000 in Carnival preparations.
Despite his staggering financial ruin, Joseph stated that his greatest heartbreak is the uncertainty facing his large team of full-time and part-time staff.
“My staff to me is my world,” Joseph said, reflecting on how he proudly maintained full salaries for all his employees throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Without incoming revenue, he expressed deep anxiety over their ability to pay loans and support their families.
In the immediate aftermath of the blaze, Joseph admitted to falling to his knees and succumbing to grief. However, a surprise visit from his mother and the relentless intervention of his close friend, Jules Williams of WEFM, pulled him out of his depression. “She brought that get up and go… ‘Bing, you got to get up,’.
Refusing to let the station die, Williams and Boom’s operations manager Mario, who was working remotely from Canada, managed to launch a temporary broadcast. Less than 48 hours after the fire, and just in time for Boom 106.9’s anniversary on April 13th, the station was back on the air playing music.
Vincentians have already begun rallying behind Joseph. Politicians and business leaders have reached out to offer support, and local hosts have proposed a community-wide initiative for businesses to purchase pre-paid advertising to inject immediate, life-saving capital into the station.
As the hosts of Issue at Hand proudly declared to Joseph regarding his swift return to the airwaves: “The city could burn down, but we jamming still”.