Heart FM boasts a new line-up and even though they are later than usual, by two months, the station is serving listeners with a few surprises.
Over the weekend, listeners tried to guess what the “random” changes were going to be with presenters appearing in unannounced slots.
But the Cape Town station has finally revealed what is going on.
After a few weeks of being tight-lipped, the news is finally out.
Here’s why you were slightly thrown off guard with changes since Friday, May 26.
As of June 1, HeartFM will go to air with its brand new line-up. It sees Keeno Hector and Lloyd Jansen bid farewell after a year on air and the return of veteran radio pro Ayanda Dlamini.
“The Black Ties” singers Hector and Jansen replaced Clarence Ford in March 2022, when they launched their own flavour on “Sundaze with Lloyd and Keeno” .
Tyrone Paulsen replaces the duo as he moves into the “The Heart Beat Sundaze” show, added onto his Friday and Saturday night show, “The Heart Beat”, from 6pm to 10pm.
The management said: “The much-anticipated line-up will see minimal changes to the station’s current on-air offering, being in line with feedback from a recent audience perceptual study.
“The study conducted in October 2022 among audience members confirms among other things, that Heart FM has a fiercely loyal follower-base, spanning over two-decades.”
Renee Redelinghuys, the managing director of Heart FM, said: “Our mandate is to continuously improve the listening experience of our loyal Heart FM community.
“We aim to achieve this by using the findings from our perceptual study to continue evolving, and elevating the listener experience.”
“Heart Breakfast”, with Aden Thomas, Tara Lee Essack and Julian Cranford, remains in the slot from 6am to 9am.
Suga leaves her mid-mornings slot to return to the “Afternoon Drive” from 3pm to 6pm weekdays. With her brand of whip-smart conversation, big laughs and great music, she leads a stellar team.
Her team includes “SA Radio Awards Sport Presenter of the Year” Jeremy Harris and former “Expresso” presenter Jamie-Lee Domburg, who moves to “Afternoon Drive” traffic. Domburg presented the evening “Overdrive show”.
Moving into the mid-morning timeslot is Olwethu Nodada, the former “Mrs South Africa” finalist, who is known to her fans as “Lady-O”. She will share the inside track on the latest lifestyle trends, fashion, celebrity gossip and entertainment news.
Paul Playdon heads the weekday evenings with “The Hot Spot” from 6pm to 10pm. His new show promises to bring some spicier conversation to Cape Town radio and the latest tracks moving the city.
Former P4, Good Hope FM and e-TV news anchor Ayanda Dlamini makes her much- anticipated return to commercial radio.
The celebrated media personality, actress and entrepreneur will host the Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm, bringing a perfect blend of great music, and the best the Cape has to offer by way of lifestyle trends and entertainment options.
Traffic and news personality Lynwen Roman hosts “Sunday Breakfast” from 6am to 9am. Tik Tok influencer Peadon Smith moves into the Sunday night slot from 10pm to 1am.
Redelinghuys said the station was “freshening the line-up to bring the audience more of what they know and love”.
She added: “We are acutely aware that we have built an extremely loyal listener base over the last two-and-a-half decades as well as the importance of being consistent.
“In an ever-changing radio landscape, we must however remain relevant in order to grow and attract new audiences.
“With that said, we do believe that this refresh will help us to do just that.”