With radio still being the most intimate of broadcast mediums, the industry knows all too well of the close bonds that are formed between presenters and listeners. However, behind the scenes, relationships are just as vital.
Any cub reporter who’s shadowed a seasoned broadcast journalist can attest to the value that is placed on trusted sources and contacts – you are who you bring to the daily news conference.
There is no way that one would be able to produce evocative content in isolation. To relate to others, one must interact with others. That’s why AI outputs often feel ‘cold’ to us – they were created without interaction between human beings.
Distilled down to its core, the content we disseminate is a collection of experiences; narratives of what someone has experienced or the experience that someone has of something. Thus, there is the opportunity to share knowledge from a wide variety of perspectives.
This diversity is also crucial in content creation, lest we create media vacuums or echo chambers that leave no room for anything ‘other’ and inevitably leave the audience poorer for being exposed to inferior content that holds no substance. Of course, there is always room for frivolity, considering how quickly users adopted platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok and brought them mammoth popularity.
The relationships we nurture and the stories we tell forge communities. Our stories can inform, inspire, and even help heal ourselves and others. Our stories can also hurt and destroy the relationships that we’ve worked so hard to create. Brand reputation, built up from narratives over decades, can be shattered in an instant with one ill-conceived or poorly placed utterance.
It’s also easy to forget that while we chase hits and clicks for traffic to generate income on our digital platforms that real people are the subjects of our stories. Have we afforded them the necessary respect? Are you piling on to someone’s misery with your on-air skit? Do they (or anybody) deserve this treatment? Would you do it with them in the room?
Telling stories is part of the human condition. And it’s never mere entertainment. Through our stories we shape our world and we can create whichever mould we please.
Relationships in business count among those scarce resources that have the potential to position us above competitors. Your collaborations hinge on how much you as a person and your brand are trusted. The synergy between partners and the amplification of messages are invaluable and can only be achieved where there is trust, and a willingness and the energy to create something bigger and meaningful to serve our collective communities.
Decades ago OFM began referring to our broadcast footprint, covering the Free State, Northern Cape, North West and southern Gauteng, as ‘Central South Africa’; even going so far as to reference this word as a proper noun.
Today, our listeners, followers, clients and stakeholders know what it is to be proudly ‘Central South African’ and what it means to belong to this resilient tribe. It is no longer merely a place, it is a state of mind. And it is a great testament of what can be achieved through our relationships and storytelling.
In conclusion, in a world seemingly and increasingly enslaved by algorithms, and on a medium considered one of the last ‘real’ mediums, let us cherish our relationships – in-house among our teams, with our trusted sources and collaborators, our stakeholders, our clients and our audience. Only then can we do the profound work for which radio is renowned.
Written by Elzette Boucher-Krüger, OFM Content Manager.
An interesting portrait of the lifestyle of the average Algoa FM listener can be painted using recent surveys by BrandMapp and Colony Live.
It reflects the middle to upper middle-class lifestyle of people living in the Algoa FM footprint, which stretches from the Garden Route to the Wild Coast and through the Karoo.
What comes through strongly is the resilience of radio as a preferred medium. Over half of Algoa FM’s listeners tune in to the Breakfast Show while travelling in their car, and more than 30% will tune in more than once a day.
According to BrandMapp, listenership represents the diversity of the people within the broadcast footprint.
Home languages are 40% English, 34% isiXhosa and 18% Afrikaans.
Big Walk: The annual Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer is the biggest mass participation charity event in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route.
There are strong correlations in the findings – BrandMapp being part of an independent national survey, and Colony part of Algoa FM’s ongoing listener engagement.
With a mean household income that is over 21% higher than the national average for the middle class, Algoa FM listeners have the financial resources needed to support an active and healthy lifestyle that includes quality life experiences.
Even so, they are concerned about inflation. With 48% expecting to spend more on groceries in the next year, the focus is on value for money.
Listeners supplement their income through side hustles such as running a small business, investing in the stock market, renting properties and home industry. Around 11% have a second job.
They spend their disposable income at food markets, eating at restaurants, attending live sporting events, as well as outdoor concerts and music festivals.
This spending power supports many of South Africa’s iconic festivals, which are hosted in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route.
They include the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, the SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees, the SPAR SPLASH Festival, the Hogsback Spring Festival, Bedford Garden Festival, the Bathurst Agricultural Show, Knysna Speed Festival, Knysna Oyster Festival, Klein Karoo Klassique, and Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees.
Family time is important, with take-aways often being part of the get-together.
Ironman: Algoa FM is a long time supporter of the annual Ironman race in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Many travel to Cape Town or Gauteng to attend concerts and theatre productions.
Music on Algoa FM is also the biggest drawcard, followed by entertainment and news.
They are also big movie fans, with over 60% having an active Netflix account.
As the regional lifestyle station listeners tune in to find out about the events, which are also promoted through the Algoa FM social media pages and website.
When it comes to leisure time, 45% plan to go on holiday in 2024.
Listeners are also house proud – 50% own at least one property, and 25% plan to renovate their homes.
Sustainable living is a priority, with 13% planning to install solar geysers and power in the next year. Some 20% already have a solar / inverter solution at home.
Rugby is big in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route, with 66% of respondents listing it as their favourite sport. Cricket follows at 40%, and then soccer at 23%.
The love of rugby is evident at all levels of the game, with thousands turning out to watch the top school teams in action at regular tournaments held throughout the season.
Algoa FM has been the media sponsor of the Standard Bank Grey High School Rugby Festival for over 15 years.
Swimming, water polo and lifesaving are also big in the province judging by the crowds they attract.
Being the home of the South African automotive industry, motor racing is big, as is the love of cars – 18% of Algoa FM listeners plan to upgrade their wheels in the next year.
Invariably you will find Algoa FM where the listeners are. The station and its popular presenters are on the ground through outside broadcasts, live crossings, and hitmobile activations.
We have a good handle on the complexities of the consumer market across the Eastern Cape and Garden Route.
We lean into what the research tells us, and maintain strong business and community relationships and make sure the station remains relevant.
Our listeners have influence and represent a powerful buying group for advertisers tapping into this lifestyle market.
Main image: Woodridge: Outdoor sports such as running are popular in the region – and Algoa is there to support the athletes and add fun to the event.
Written by Dennis Karantges, sales manager at Algoa FM.
Applications are open for beneficiaries for the annual Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer, presented by ISUZU Motors South Africa.
We encourage non-profit organizations which support cancer patients and their families and with an established presence in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route to apply.
The closing date for applications is April 30.
This year, we celebrate the 26th anniversary of this iconic event.
The 26th edition of the biggest mass participation charity event in the Eastern Cape will be held on Saturday, 26 October 2024.
The main event will take place in Gqeberha, with parallel Big Walk for Cancer events in East London and George.
To learn more and access the online application form, please visit www.algoafm.co.za and click on Algoa Cares.
OFM, the Sound of Your Life, is thrilled to announce Ilze Basson-Eva as the grand prize winner of R20 024 during our Big Radio Registration campaign.
In 2024, OFM vowed to bring listeners more, and the competition, held throughout February and March, as part of OFM’s commitment to connect with our listeners, culminated in Basson-Eva’s selection from hundreds of entries across Central South Africa.
The 42-year-old freelance graphic designer from Upington, says she’ll likely be spending her winnings om home renovations and then treating her family, her husband and two sons, aged 10 and 13, to a weekend away.
By going beyond the airwaves to meet our valued listeners in person and celebrate the diversity that makes each one more than just a number to us, OFM embarked on a journey crisscrossing Central South Africa, stopping in Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Klerksdorp, Welkom, Vanderbijlpark, Upington, and Potchefstroom.
During these activations, attendees registered as an official OFM listener and received a unique code to use throughout the year to unlock additional benefits and chances to win on OFM. Each activation also awarded a R2 024 spot prize, while participants were entered into the draw for the grand prize of R20 024.
According to OFM Sales and Marketing Manager, Anchen Lintvelt, this campaign was a showcase of Central South African hospitality from our listeners as well as partners and was received warmly throughout. “It’s wonderful to be able to make a difference in a loyal OFM listener’s life! Thank you to each and every one who registered at one of our eight stops. Don’t lose hope if you didn’t win this time… there is still much more to come in 2024!”
Stay tuned to OFM, and keep an eye on our social media platforms for more announcements to come regarding the Big Radio Registration.