MTV is launching a new channel dedicated to Caribbean music and culture.

The new channel,called Tempo,is slated to debut next October in the Caribbean islands and in the U.S. in 2006.

Tempo is among a slew of new MTV channels specifically targeted at young ethnic viewers in the U.S.

Three others include those targeted at Indian,Korean and Chinese populations.

“Caribbean people are a melting pot of nationalities bound together by a shared history and a sense of regional pride,”said Fredrick Morton,MTV senior vice president,who led the development of the channel.

As part of the deal,Haitian-born music star Wyclef Jean has inked a deal with the network to develop programming for the channel

including original series and documentaries.