Well-known broadcaster, Merrano Isaacs, has been on our airwaves for some time and he is that friendly voice that can be heard on National Communications Network (NCN) Radio – Voice of Guyana and 98.1FM on a daily basis. Mr. Isaacs is an Amerindian, and one who takes pride in his job, in which he has become highly popular. He has devoted almost half of his life to broadcasting, having started while still at school and upon completion of his secondary education at Richard Ishmael, in the city.
Mr. Isaacs explained that he was first introduced to radio on the programme, “Let’s Talk with Penny” in 1995, discussing what it is like for hinterland students attending secondary schools in Georgetown.
He told the Guyana Chronicle that after that interview he  was asked by one of the producers of  ‘The Onward Upward Show”, Lorraine Harris, called Aunt Lorraine on the show, to assist her in a quiz about Guyana and she was amazed by his general knowledge, so she asked him to continue to assist her – an offer he took.
Mr. Isaacs worked his way up and was soon promoted to the position of Assistant Producer of that very radio programme.   When it dawned on him that he had the knack for broadcasting he never looked back, continuing to climb the corporate ladder in the field. Mr. Isaacs credits former Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) General Manager, Mr. Fazil Azeez, longtime GBC Programme Manager, Ms Margaret Lawrence, Phyllis Jackson, Lorraine Harris and the late Pancho Carew and Courtney Roberts as being very influential on his journey in Broadcasting.
Mr. Isaacs said, “I had wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but when I got a taste of broadcasting it was the job I came to love.”
Kamarang in Region Seven is his ancestral home,  but he now resides in the city with his parents and two sisters.
He is single and is the eldest of his siblings.
Mr. Isaacs said, “Being well-known is not always easy because sometimes I long for privacy, and at heart I am a simple person who enjoys being a regular individual.”
He pointed out that, as a public figure, people are always looking at you.   Away from work he enjoys quieter pastimes such as reading and listening to music, but also likes to hang out with his friends.
Mr. Isaacs is simply motivated by the fact that he is providing a public service to the people of Guyana, as well as his influence on the public through radio.
Through practice over the years he has become well-versed in current affairs, and by listening to the BBC he keeps up-to-date with the latest developments around him, both regionally and internationally.  He has been voted as one of the better radio announcers locally.
He credited his fluency in delivery to reading, which he said significantly broadens the scope of his knowledge.
During his years of radio announcing, Isaacs has had the opportunity to meet with several heads-of-state and has even met three members of the royal family.
He has also visited about 20 of the Amerindian settlements in Guyana during the course of performing duties and says that he has no regrets in choosing such a career. For him, the most memorable event of his career was during the floods of 2005, when Broadcasting House at High Street was under water and all broadcasts were done from the mobile unit. “I, along with technical operator Shameer Ali, slept in the mobile to ensure that the nation was kept informed of the developments with the flooding on the coast”
When asked what he thinks of September being designated Amerindian Heritage Month, Isaacs said that at the very beginning it was significant, in that the month allowed examination of culture and reflection on the considerable achievements of the indigenous people, but opined that in recent times this has changed and Amerindian youths seem not to be too eager to embrace the traditional language, songs and dances and that celebrations have now evolved into some kind of party.
He revealed that since the passing of his cousin, Dr. Desrey Fox – Minister within the Ministry of Education, who was instrumental in preserving and teaching the young people the Amerindian dialect, the mantle is yet to be taken up by another person and as such feels that there is a void in the culture and regrets that at this time he is not ready for such a role. He hopes that, during Amerindian Heritage Month, Guyanese will be able to appreciate the many contributions of Guyana’s First People and not dwell too much on stereotypes.