In your ear
Thebe Mabanga
Recently Metro fm unveiled a new line-up three weeks after appointing a new station manager, former marketing manager Lesley Ntloko. Both changes were made with good intentions but are flawed.
First the line-up. The most exciting part is the arrival of Phat Joe on the midday show (noon-3pm). Phat Joe is a genuine, aura-filled personality and semi-shock jock who is hard to ignore. He would be a good catch for almost any station.
I recall how, at Yfm, Phat Joe used to berate Metro and the SABC. Now the fans who used to support him through e-mails must feel numb, betrayed and miffed.
Phat Joe takes over this slot from Jules “Chilli M” Masinga, whose contract was not renewed for reasons that include bringing Metro fm into disrepute. This follows a series of well-documented episodes of domestic violence with his TV-presenter girlfriend.
My initial reaction to this decision was that it is sickening moral piety, not because I support Masinga’s behaviour but because it would set a precedent that cannot be followed. For instance, another Metro fm DJ, Eddie Zondi, was recently in the news for domestic problems, which are continually met with tame denial. Is the station going to fire him when his contract expires? Where do you draw the line?
Ntloko’s unconvincing insistence that Chilli M was not dismissed for his unfortunate spat, without giving the actual reasons, leaves one with no choice but to believe the industry grapevine that Masinga actually grew big-headed. He is reported to have had unsavoury encounters with the station’s more junior personnel, rubbing in his intimacy with senior management.
He might be an example of good talent that does not realise its full potential.
With the new line-up comes yet another departure, that of Isaac Phaahla. From being a tollgate cashier at Villiers in the Free State, he rose to become one of the most versatile broadcasters, presenting jazz, a talk show and doing soccer commentary for a decade. Now he has had to move on and the two songs I choose to remember him by are Moses Taiwa Molelekwa’s Itumeleng and Hank Crawford’s Lullaby of Love from, as he would always point out, the album Tico Rico.
Phaahla passes the reins to Penny Lebyane, of whose merits as a talk-show host I am not convinced. When she was at Voice of Soweto, Lebyane used to cover theatre and since her arrival at Metro she has worked hard at cultivating her image as a social butterfly.
Now she has to engage me on current affairs. Her saving grace will be in experienced producer Thabiso Kotane. If she proves me wrong I will say so. Do not watch this space.
In ringing all these changes, Metro fm has missed the opportunity to address the breakfast slot, currently manned by Just Ice. Just Ice has the wit to be a breakfast jock, but I do not think he has the voice to pierce the mould of morning slumber.
Another area of concern is the sports show, which also needs to tighten production, or better yet, be completely revamped.
Finally on Ntloko’s appointment. Just like the world does not need another love song, Metro fm did not need another Romeo Khumalo. In Ntloko, they have found one. He is Khumalo’s protg who will be content to steep the station’s image in hype and marketing without a focus on the basics of programming or a progressive music selection.