Thebe Mabanga in your ear
Well, here’s to a year that was kicked off by a bug that was so menacing, we would not have the pleasure of listening to radio were it to materialise.
Of course there are times when listening to radio is not such a pleasure and one cannot help but wish that the millennium bug wiped out all radio broadcasts. Widespread mediocrity notwithstanding, there are individuals and stations who have made tuning in worthwhile. Here, we thank a few.?
To SAfm breakfast anchor John Perlman: thanks for bringing sanity to our mornings and starting us off on an informative note.
Also at breakfast, Yfm’s Phat Joe’s departure was rather unfortunate. Yes it has brought the noise level down, but we have lost a genuine radio personality: noisy, brash and unbridled. An aura-filled semi-shock jock.
One of his best skits recently was when, during the recent high-profile deportation of non-South African citizens, the Yfm team caught wind of the fact that Phat Joe’s counterpart at Metro fm, Just Ice, had been deported. The skit was executed by stand-up comedian David Kau and was actually made a news item. The brilliance was confirmed when it turned out that Just Ice was pulling a fast one and had actually not been deported. It demonstrated the Iceman’s wit and he epitomised the breakfast rival’s attempt to bring insanity to our morning.
To 5fm: thanks for groundbreaking outside broadcast. Mark Gilman, we followed you to the summit of the Empire State building in New York, the BBC and then again to the beaches of Malawi and Mwambashi in Zambia. This partly explains the GQ man-of-the-year title you earned. There was also one Saturday when 5 took us to Oppikoppi in the Northern Province and then to Ibiza in Spain with Derek the Bandit. It was quite memorable.
SAfm, you have to be mentioned for live performance broadcast on Michelle Constant’s Saturday Morning Wired. You also deserve a pat on the back for your no-frills approach to talk. You bottle the information at source and distil it for our enjoyment.
To Radio 702, for bringing interesting perspective to your talk and providing us with lively hosts. John Robbie, you remain a raconteur of note, in writing and speaking and although the Department of Health will not be inviting you to its end-of-year do, you will be in good company at the functions you do attend or compre.
Motsweding Fm: the manner in which you got behind the Calabash Festival in Taung was impressive. The manner in which you continue to cover sports like cricket and rugby shows why you are among the most progressive stations. Moabi Theko, you are the pride of black sports journalists. Your versatility is matched by the likes of our own Andy Capostagno and every night when I listen to you on SABC news, my heart swells with pride.
To Kaya FM, the station of choice among Gauteng eateries that realise that being African is in vogue, thank you for being refreshingly different. To Lawrence Dube and Redi Direko, for hosting the most balanced drive-time show on radio. Lawrence, I remember how the Toyota Top 20 which you co-hosted with Neill Johnson sparked my interest in broadcasting and a broad and eclectic taste in music.
I then followed you to your Metro breakfast show and look where the passion has brought me. I also remember how, during a holiday period, some unknown presenter stood in for you, much to my irritation.
That presenter was Ernest Pillay and over the years he has done a lot to convince me of his talent. Which is why I take pleasure in welcoming him back to the Gauteng airwaves, as I do too Gloria Moshoeshoe, now known as Masechaba remember, being African is in vogue Thabiso Matladi (all on Kaya on Saturday) and Zuraida “Zee” Jardine on 5fm. Weekend radio has sprung to life.