It’s a proud feeling to be of service to our motherland. Every one of us wants to strive for the prosperity and progression of our respective countries, and no doubt, we all put our best possible efforts into that. Some of us serve by securing national borders while others preserve national identification by recording it in the pages of history. Likewise, politicians, poets, engineers, scientists, technicians, and a plethora of professionals have their own way of offering services to their motherland. The Caribbean region was lucky to have passionate country folk in all these domains. The only tragedy was that despite being culturally rich, naturally mesmerizing, religiously diverse, and blessed with skilled and talented people in every industry, the Caribbean was nowhere to be found in mainstream media. The absence was strongly felt across the region, especially by a particular child who felt only sorry at the state of affairs. He was convinced it was unacceptable and something had to be done, but it took young Frederick A. Morton, Jr. nearly two decades to create a befitting solution. It came in the form of TEMPO Networks – a Media Company solely focused on the Caribbean lifestyle, hatched to resolve years-long grievances of the islanders, including Frederick himself. But the journey wasn’t immune to a fair share of challenges. The good thing was that the circumstances had prepared Frederick enough to face each challenge boldly. He had learned about work ethic from his diligent parents, who were also entrepreneurs, what it took to garner success, and above all, what it cost. He was born in St. Croix which represented everything that the Caribbean was – a region teeming with cultural diversity and natural beauty. Frederick then moved to the USA for higher studies. He completed a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate in Law from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University. Owing to his considerable stature in the legal field, he was offered to work as an attorney at a prestigious law firm, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, where he represented numerous Fortune 500 companies. Progressing in his career in law, he eventually landed at MTV as Deputy General Counsel of Business and Legal Affairs and was later made Head of the Litigation Department. After working a while at MTV, Frederick saw a golden opportunity to up the ante on his efforts to secure a TV channel dedicated to all things Caribbean. Hence one day, when he was out having lunch with Tom Freston – one of MTV’s founders – in New York, Frederick brought the idea of TEMPO Networks to the table. Both he and Freston knew that the network would not be installed instantly. So a series of discussions, hours-long meetings, thick documentation, and incessant phone calls ensued for two years. Then one morning in 2005, when Caribbeans all over the world tuned in to their TVs, they were greeted with the news of TEMPO Networks coming soon – news that filled them with joy and curiosity for what it had to offer. The credit goes to Frederick A. Morton, Jr. for mainstreaming the Caribbean and unveiling what he calls ‘the earth’s last Eden.’ Today one can, without any doubt, say that he truly is a son every motherland prays for.
