There are dreams that we achieve in a short span of time, and there are dreams we achieve in the long run – the important point is, we do achieve our dreams, sooner or later, if only we stick to them. Yes, the journey feels tiring sometimes and sometimes grueling, but after all, what good is the prize if we earn it by putting little to nothing? Charity, we call it, and no one achieves dreams in charity. Frederick A. Morton, Jr. traveled miles and miles before achieving something he dearly wanted – a gift for his motherland, the Caribbean.
And that gift was TEMPO Networks, now a leading television, media, entertainment, and lifestyle brand in the Caribbean.
“It was my dream, starting TEMPO,” says Frederick. “The objective was to create a unifying and quality platform for the Caribbean through media, where the Caribbean islands could be connected through their shared history and experiences,” he further added.
Currently, TEMPO Networks is in full swing in and outside the Caribbean, fishing out the concealed talents in the islands and presenting the magnificent beauty of the region worldwide with a viewership of over 5 million.
“It started with a conversation on one good afternoon,” Frederick says, recalling how things led to the creation of TEMPO. The year was 2003. He was working at MTV as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at the time. Frederick had proved his business acumen and mettle in legal affairs by securing a great career at the top law firms in the country. Not to mention, his great fortune of having famed Attorney Johnnie Cochran as his mentor.
“I was out with Mr. Tom Freston, the then President and one of the founders of MTV, an entertainment industry icon, for whom I had immense respect,” says Frederick. “We were having lunch at Blue Fin, a restaurant located in Times Square, NY city, when I presented the idea of TEMPO to Tom,” says Frederick, adding we thoroughly dissected the idea over several subsequent lunches, diving into the details. In the end, Tom acknowledged the opportunity, but more importantly, Frederick’s intense passion instructed him to proceed in having the idea vetted by MTV Business Development.
Frederick had to wait for two more years, however, before he finally could obtain approval from MTV to launch the network in 2005. A wave of ecstasy, pride, and hope had emerged in the hearts of Caribbeans living around the world, and Frederick was riding this wave.
The network was launched in the Caribbean, with events and celebrations spreading throughout the region. Undoubtedly, it wasn’t only Frederick’s dream coming to fruition, but almost every Caribbean had nursed such hope in their life.
In 2007, Frederick purchased TEMPO Networks from MTV and relocated the headquarters from New York to New Jersey. Finally living his dream, he decided to focus all his energies on furthering TEMPO and its potential to bring out the best of the Caribbean; its internal beauty that often remains off the screens; the talent that was on the wane due to no opportunities, and the cultural diversity that is the essence of the region.
Today, we enjoy watching entertainment and lifestyle shows on TEMPO, but we must remember it didn’t fall from the skies but it is the upshot of Frederick’s lifetime struggle.
Here is where you can follow more about TEMPO Networks.