I find it amazing to say the least that come March each year a revolving door policy starts to happen at the three commercial radio stations in the Western Cape, never mind the syndrome called; ‘let’s copy what other stations do by simply packaging it in a different color.
Let’s get to specifics…
Last week Kfm introduced Bob Skinstad to Saturday 8-9am radio .All the station is doing is copying Heart 104.9fm On The Couch (also Sat 8-9am) which has been running successfully under the stewardship of Martin Myers for the past five years. The show enjoys great listenership interaction with host Sam Roy, cricket fundi Zaahier Adams and rugby gurus Mike Greenaway and in the 2010 edition it will see the introduction of Egon Seconds – all time record holder for tries scored for Western Province/Stormers.
During the week Heart 104.9 has The Sports Cage 6-6.30pm and Good Hope has JP Naude doing a sports show as well, also during the same times
Then next Lee Downs will be leaving Heart and moving to Kfm drive show 3-6. We also had Kfm with Ian F ex-5fm stand in for three weeks on various shows during the festive season .What has happened to him?
It’s a crazy time of the year where other people move including Jeremy Harris from Good Hope to a week latter doing sport on Kfm breakfast show.
Surely the listener in Western Cape can’t be that stupid? The offerings are too similar ..No one is thinking out the box and going for a radical change or direction with a proper marketing budget to bring real excitement back again to events and co–op campaigns.
What I would like to mention as well is that being a so called radio consultant in Western Cape must be real fun… Just copy what the other station does, read the RAMMS figures and then move a presenter from one station to the next and hope the listeners will follow, instead of working on a long term strategy to build the brand and work on synergies. By example; no one has done a tie up to be able to purchase music from the radio station via legal downloads etc.
The future is bright, but it’s not shades the radio fraternity seems to be wearing, it’s blinkers! (Bless them).
Martin Myers 
Too right. Bob Skinstad is shocking on air – I thought it was a stand in presenter with a K*K Durban accent!!
The only radio show I enjoy is Kfm Breakfast – it has an unbelievable energy about it. Ryan Seacrest must go too… My feeling too is that Cape Talk needs to go onto FM – it is also a good station. I can’t stand 5fm…
As you say, radio stations in the Western Cape lack originality – they work to a template and a very “vanilla” format that is bland. Hat’s off to O’Connor and his team for pushing boundaries!