As part of the search, listeners were invited to audition for various broadcasting posts, from traffic reporters and news journalists, to on-air presenters. The initiative drew huge support, with more than 1300 radio hopefuls attending the auditions each week.
The promotion culminated in an outside broadcast with the Rude Awakening (RAW) breakfast show this morning, at which the overall winners were announced. Both Burt and Sukhdeo will be given their first real taste of life behind the microphone this weekend, when they host their own live shows between 2pm 6pm on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Initially the station was only looking at employing two new presenters, with Burt and Sukhdeo getting the most votes from listeners, but as luck would have it, Moletsane was also chosen as a news reader intern.
“This industry needs as many young, talented people as possible, who can be groomed into professional broadcasters. 94.7 Highveld Stereo is committed to recruiting and training young people for future careers in radio,” says Ravi Naidoo, 94.7 Highveld Stereo station manager. “To this end, we regularly undertake such talent drives, and with great success too.”
Current 94.7 Highveld Stereo personalities who joined the station through its previous talent drives include presenter Kate Kearney and traffic reporters Bailey Schneider and Bongani Nxumalo.
Mathapelo Monaisa, 94.7 Highveld Stereo programme manager, says the standard this year was particularly high. “This has probably been the most successful talent search we've ever had. We uncovered a massive amount of potential and I look forward to working with and maximising the new talent in the future,” explains Monaisa.
Hot Jocks 2008 was leveraged on-air and through humorous posters placed in participating shopping centres and Wimpy outlets.
The mechanic was simple: listeners needed to visit the 94.7 Highveld Stereo set at the designated shopping centre (Jabulani Mall in Soweto, East Rand Mall and Clearwater Mall) and go through the audition process, which was rigorous and evaluated by some of the industry's top professionals, including 94.7 Highveld Stereo personalities.
A total of 28 successful candidates were selected over the three-week promotional period, with two per day appearing on the Rude Awakening to drum up support for their cause.
Listeners then voted for their favourite Hot Jock either on the station's website at www.highveld.co.za or via their cellphones at http://highveld.mobi.
“The promotion was really a great success. We had several candidates trying at all three shopping centres - standing in queues for hours - just to be selected as a finalist and be given that once-in-a-lifetime shot at making it on-air. The response and the passion for radio were both very encouraging,” adds Naidoo.
