Radio lineups: reinventing to stay relevant, competitive

Since the beginning of April 2010, radio lovers in South Africa have noticed that more than a couple of changes have been made, and new faces and new shows introduced here and there. For example, 5FM radio station's new lineup includes new DJs Jon Savage (Cassette lead singer), Elma Smit (MK presenter), Nicole da Silva (Radio 2000), Dineo Lusenga (YFM), C-Live (YFM) and Thomas Msengana (Metro FM).

“Changing something that is not working”

“My general point of view is that most radio stations make changes in accordance with the beginning of their financial year, but overall I believe it has also something to do with changing something that is not working,” Kgaugelo Maphai, MD of Omnicom Consulting, told Bizcommunity.com yesterday.

“When the performance of the show is not of a great quality, there is no choice but to make changes because this is a competitive environment,” he pointed out. “And you do it to pull in more listeners and [if] you ignore poor quality, you may lose listeners.

“Radio is not like TV. People watch TV programmes but do not watch channels while people listen to radio stations. And if they are bored by the show or the DJ, off the go they tune to another station and they may not come back and you lose out.”

Maphai is the former SABC radio national trade marketing manager.

Prodigal son returns

Kaya FM's new lineup saw prodigal son DJ Bob Mabena make a triumphal return to Newtown, while the breakfast show, Good Morning Gauteng, hosted by Kgomotso Matsunyane and Ndumiso Ngcobo, has undergone a minor facelift, with the introduction of new comedic talent Eugene Khoza.

“No matter who says what, there will always be a role for radio in our society. And that is why radio as an effective medium reaching so many people every minute needs to reinvent itself time to time to stay relevant with the current trends,” Maphai explained.

It is estimated that SABC's 18 radio stations reach about 20 million people across SA every day.

“Of course there is a big difference between radio and TV. Unlike TV where some programmes are made for instance in January and broadcast in March. So many things would have happened during that time,” he said. “For me, radio is the only credible medium with real time stuff in it and is personality-driven, and it also depends on who is listening.”

There has also been some movement at Heart 104.9FM, with Randall Abrahams joining the station with his exclusive show Point of View on Saturdays morning (9am-12pm). Point of View will include local, national and international lifestyle guests, restaurant reviews, and some opinion on business, fashion and music.

Opted not to make major changes

Meanwhile, SABC-owned commercial radio station Metro FM has opted not to make major adjustments, sticking with its usual lineup but making a few changes.

Sentle Lehoko took over Bambo Johnson's slot of between midnight and 3am. The show 'La Bon Vie', which was hosted by Lupi Ngcayisa and Refiloe Mpakanyane, has been done away with, as Ngcayisa is now producing, while Mpakanyane is presenting the news on the breakfast show.

Furthermore, YFM 99.2, a youth platform currently reaching 1.6 million listeners in Gauteng, has also made a few changes to its lineup, which saw Mo'Flava - previously plying his trade between 6pm and 9am - becoming its newest breakfast DJ. [YFM has also just revamped its site, which is now iPad-friendly, too - managing ed.]

MpowerFM, the voice and rhythm of Mpumalanga Province, now has a new brand show called What's Up Mpumalanga (Saturday 6am-9am), which is being presented by Dave Walters and Mike Savage. The show features include The Top 10 things to do this weekend in Mpumalanga, breaking front page news, latest movie reports, book reviews and 768 things to do in Mpumalanga before you die.

Decries lack of quality

However, despite SA radio stations striving to bring listeners the best programming, Maphai decries the lack of quality in programme management. “We don't have enough qualified programme managers in the country, especially in black radio,” he lamented, adding that many people who are now in radio just ended up there without even knowing how.

Some of the content in black radio has been stagnant, kind of more of the same day in day out, he added. “A lot of our DJs just wake up in the morning and start banging listeners with whatever comes up in their heads. In most of the cases, there is no proper planning.

“As black listeners get more sophisticated, they begin to look for more evolving platforms, including shifting to white stations because black stations are not adjusting. I think it has to do with lack of skills and ongoing training and also not developing talent.

“But as far I can see, East Coast has mastered everything, including formatting, and has done it pretty well.

“Most white stations get it right”

“Most white stations get it right because they have what we call external consultants, people from US, UK for instance, from whom they can source good stuff and apply them locally. Make no mistake radio in those countries are operating in a very competitive environment. You need to go overseas, get exposure to different markets, do a lot of research in order to understand your target audience well, invest and understand

“Besides, the big problem lies with many programme managers not even listening to their stations - how are you going to distinguish what is working from what is not working?” Maphai concluded.

For more:

• 5fm: new lineup
  
• Kaya FM: new lineup
  
• Heart 109.4FM: new lineup
  
• Metro FM: amended lineup
  
• YFM: amended lineup
  
• MPowerFM: amended lineup