IRIE FM began test transmissions in July 1990 with a heavy bass line and rocking Reggae rhythms.

The station officially went on air on August 1, 1990. Reggae in the morning, Reggae in the evening, Reggae in the night was the cry. Critics said it was impossible to sustain a 24-hour Reggae music station. In fact, so strong was the impact, it proved that this format was something the Jamaican public yearned for. The little station that could got all media houses in Jamaica to stand up and take note. The nay-sayers did not count on the strength of 40 years worth of rich, pulsating Jamaican music.