Gareth Cliff shocked the nation last week when he announced that he would be resigning from 5FM. When the shock subsided, it was replaced with curiosity as many wondered what would be coming next for the popular, but controversial, radio DJ. It seems as if we might have our answer today- well, sort of.
Gareth Cliff posted this on his Facebook this morning
Post by Gareth Cliff.
Don't worry, your computer is not having issues loading- the picture is supposed to be blurry, clearly a suggestion that there's something in the works - but it's not completely ready for public consumption yet. We clicked on the website link, CliffCentral.com (We must admit, the name IS pretty cool) and it takes us to a page with the same blurry picture, but it does offer a little more clarity (Ironic, considering the blurry picture) as to what he may be planning.
The website's tagline reads, "Unscripted. Uncensored. Unradio" while prompting users to join Gareth Cliff 'live' from the 1st of May. Users are also encouraged to sign up in order to be notified of the site's future development- as well as that of the overall project.
So, we have some clarity but the question is there to be asked- what exactly is this project going to be? Some have suggested that CliffCentral will be an internet radio station. Well, sort of. Gareth was kind enough to leave us with a hint as to exactly what will be going down, come the first of May. It looks as if CliffCentral will be a WeChat radio station (please note, it LOOKS AS IF).
Yes, WeChat, the increasingly popular IM platform. If you have a look at the bottom of Cliff's placeholder page, there are buttons available for you to download We Chat for both Android and iOS.
The very awesome Memeburn.com was the first to make the Gareth Cliff/WeChat connection, but at this point in time nobody knows the full extent of the duo's partnership. The radio idea is not too far off, as Memeburner mentions, the partnership was rumored and the inclusion of the download buttons all but confirms what we wanted to know. Users in China (Where WeChat originates) are able to stream television programs directly from the app, so the liklihood of Cliff being the first South African to have a radio platform on WeChat is not extremely farfetched.
WeChat is growing in popularity and recruiting one of SA's most influential media figures into their ranks will be a very smart move (Look how well their Lionel Messi campaign has worked; over 100million users have signed up since!)
What do you think Gareth Cliff and WeChat are up to? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below!