All have been fired from one station or another during their careers but the common factor between them is their love for radio.
On Wednesday night, Cliff Central’s Gareth Cliff hosted the kings of radio for an honest chat about the broadcasting landscape and where it is headed. In the studio with him were DJ Sbu, Tbo Touch, DJ Fresh and Robert Marawa, former host of 083 Sports@6 on Metro FM.
DJ Fresh, who starts a new journey with 947 next month had an eventful few weeks after being suspended from his Metro FM breakfast show.
“I don’t know if its a ‘black radio’ thing where every March there is this madness that they must reshuffle. They must hire new people and fire people but, more often than not, people are being fired not based on deliverables not met.
“It’s almost like people wake up on a whim and decide ‘I don’t like a person any more, they must go’.
“Whereas, if you say, ‘I’ve given you everything you need to reach
your target and you have not
delivered, then we gonna let you go.’ Then it makes sense because it is a business decision.”
Chiming in, Cliff said, in most instances, talent would never get explanations on being fired. “We’ve all heard stories of guys who go in (to work) and suddenly their cards don’t work they have been fired and no one even told them.”
DJ Sbu said before he joined Metro FM, understanding that those decisions could be made, he saw with the firing of Bertha Charuma, who had the biggest audience for her 9am-12 noon show. “The mentality was you have high numbers you are bringing in the money, lots of ads on your show and you’re not going to get fired.”
Cliff said the conversation, a series that would continue with radio queens in the future, was not meant to be a bashing of the SABC because they had all had great times there.
Talking on how radio stations offered different freedoms, DJ Sbu said it was an adjustment for him to move from YFM to the more urban Metro FM.
“It was crazy at the time but the freedom we had on radio, that rubbed on to me and I became a rebel on radio. Every time I was on air I would be reprimanded, but because of the YFM culture I had adopted, I knew I needed to mature when I went to Metro, but I still needed to be me.”
Tbo Touch, who has since built his space with streaming radio said he wished that he could tell upcoming talent the “real deal” about standing out from the crowd.
“If you are average you will remain there for long. All you want to do is deliver a hot show, keep me out of the politics, give me the space to do why I am here.”
Talking on his situation with
Metro, Fresh said it was unfortunate it became the storm it did. When people want to handle something their way, as a man of principle I don’t work like that.
“I wish we had more people with the security to know that they would get another job, we’d have more people walking away from jobs.
“People sing for their dinner and can’t afford to rock the boat, because ‘what if I don’t get another means of income?’.”
Marawa, who joined the conversation at a later stage, said: “The only love of what we do is based on our preparation, the dedication, the passion and that is all that radio is. Radio is not something you do by accident.”
On what they love about radio: “The one thing that has me loving
this platform is how we are able to effect change and for me if it’s not going to change someone’s life, then I’m not touching it,” said DJ Fresh.
Adding to that, DJ Sbu said: “I modelled my career around purpose and that’s stuck with me around every decision that I make even in business right now. Radio was able to give me that immediate contact with people that I wanted to help.”
Tbo Touch said when people are given an opportunity, if they are hungry enough they will shine. “So the ability to change people’s lives.”
The conversation went on to discuss future projects, current successes and having the ability to nurture young talent. @mane_mpi