It's been labelled as a 'radio exodus' by many people in South Africa, but as the dust settles from some of the most exciting announcements we've seen in recent times, it appears to be nothing more than a massive shakeup. A lot of people are confused as to what has inspired this massive shakeup; but it's a little known fact that April 1st marks the beginning of the new South African radio season- which is why a lot of radio DJ's have been moving stations or leaving them completely.
We know the big personalities who are leaving their stations permanently, but there's been a bit of confusion surrounding some of the other announcements that we have witnessed in recent weeks. Just last week DJ Warras had to come out and clarify that he, in fact, was not fired from YFM as many had believed. So that we're all clear, we're going to highlight the 5 biggest moves that we saw in this week's radio shakeup.
5. DJ Warras
DJ Warras has been a firm fixture on YFM's lineup for a good period of time and he's established a firm following of loyal listeners as a result. When it was reported, two weeks ago, that he'd be leaving Y there were rumors that he'd been fired- especially as his departure took imminent effect. Warras set the record straight, however:
"I was not fired from YFM like many people assume. I turned down the offer to renew my contract and they prematurely took me off my show before the end of my current contract. Management told me that I was not going to do more shows in the same meeting that I told them I was not going to continue working at YFM."
So that's that. We're currently unaware of DJ Warras' next moves.
4. Thando Thabethe
One of the more surprising announcements that was made yesterday was that of Thando Thabethe's YFM contract not being renewed. The Radio and television personality's time at YFM (And eTV's club 808) appears to have come to a close with YFM CEO, Kanthan Pillay, saying
"Her contract was not renewed. It was a business decision and she's not part of the new line-up,"
With age, talent and looks all firmly on her side, we think it's just a matter of time before Thando is snapped up as she continues to rise higher and higher on the South African entertainment ladder.
3. Mo Flava
While everybody was caught up in the whirlwind that was 5FM's massive announcement yesterday (More on that in a moment) many people seemed to miss the news that 'Mo Flava was leaving YFM'. As it turns out, Mo' is not leaving Y; he's just moving shows. Mo Flava In The Morning has been hailed as one of, if not, Y's best show but it seems that Mo is looking for a new challenge within the brand.
From today, Mo Flava will be the voice of YFM's afternoon drive, we look forward to seeing what excitement he can bring to our day! In the mean time though, who would you choose to replace Mo in the mornings?
2. Bonang
Ah, Queen B. She's everywhere right now, and in all this time it's been easy to forget that she was also a radio DJ on YFM. She announced her departure two weeks ago and today it's been confirmed that the gorgeous glamour goddess will be jumping ship to Metro FM. She will be co-hosting the 9am-12pm show with Thato Matebogo and replacing the (boring) Siphokazi January. We hope that Bonang will be able to bring some of her exciting flavor to this show slot.
1. Gareth Cliff (And his crew)
Then of course there was the massive announcement; Gareth Cliff has left 5FM and taken his crew with him. We touched on this enough yesterday but this has to be one of the most defining moments in recent radio times. The host of one of the most popular breakfast shows has left his post to pursue his own ventures. It wasn't an easy pill to swallow for the fans, but it's one that we hope will lead to new opportunities being given to some of the young, fresh talent in this country.