Radio & Audio News South Africa

Old favourites on Good Hope

Cape Town’s Good Hope FM gets a new look this month with the return of an old favourite as well as introducing new Capetonian talent. Station manager Anthony Duke is excited about the future: “We shifted direction slightly on Good Hope FM's positioning last year and having Ryan O’Connor rejoin the station fits right into our ongoing strategy. He has some great new features planned for the afternoons."

Ryan O’Connor is back after a six month absence to take over his original show The Fastlane, the weekday afternoon drive show (15h00 – 18h00). Joining O’Connor on the show is the popular team of news reader Vania Cloete and sports presenter Mark Marshall.

During his seven year-stint at Good Hope FM O’Connor developed a reputation as a comical DJ, known for his prank calls which introduced listeners to ‘Gaarrt, Rene, Winston and Jacques’. They’ll be back along with some other not-to-be-missed comic specials. Also returning on Mondays at 16h30 is Die Bruin Ou with comedian Kurt Schoonraad. O’Connor is also working on a comedy feature that takes him out of the studio and onto the streets of Cape Town…

DJs like Nigel Pierce, Suga, Sfiso Maggz and Natalie Becker will still be making the airwaves rock in their regular slots. Graeme White will be rejoining the Nigel Pierce Breakfast Show as the programme’s producer. Mayor Helen Zille will be interviewed every Monday on the Nigel Pierce Show.

New talent

Erin Classen – who started on the station at the end of last year – moves to a new time slot on Saturdays and Sundays from 22h00 to 02h00, while newcomer Ayanda Tini takes to the airwaves on Saturdays and Sundays from 12h00 to 15h00. Tini is a presenter on the SABC programme, Hip2B2.

Twenty-three-year-old Classen began a training course at Good Hope FM last year, eventually getting “the graveyard shift” and also made her TV debut on Hip2B2.

Weekends

Weekends also get an overhaul. Included is the gospel show 'Sanctifunktified' in which all genres are covered but mainly smooth mid-tempo sounds featuring the industry’s best urban Gospel artists such as Kirk Franklin, Kelly Price, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Fred Hammond, Dave Hollister, Kierra ‘Kikki’ Sheard, Kenny Lattimore and Chante Moore. It will broadcast on Sundays between 8h00 and 8h30 and hosted by Bradley Knight.

In another change, The Saturday Top 40 show (10h00 to 14h00 slot with Tyrone Paulsen) becomes a Top 30 show, now on between 09h00 and 12h00.

The station continues with its priority CSI initiative launched at the beginning of the year – the fight against drugs, specifically Tik. The station will continue with its award-winning print and on air campaign, while the DJs will continue to visit schools and clinics to try and help combat this fast growing problem.

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