Veteran radio presenter speaks on radio role

A former local radio station presenter shared his life experiences he learnt during his radio career with fellow community members in an interview with Tembisan.

Mr Sello Mashiane (76) had a very fruitful career on radio, which spanneds from 1964 to 2009.

Mr Mashiane said he worked for radio stations like the old Radio Bantu and Radio Lebowa before he worked for a community radio station.

His career finally came to an end when he left Voice of Tembisa (VOT) in 2009.

When asked about his reason for leaving VOT, Mr Mashiane said a community radio station is a learning platform for young and old who are interested in forging a career in the broadcasting world.

“For a local radio station to grow in terms of quality and in serving its audience, that station must not recycle talent but people who have served the radio station must make way for new blood to acquire radio skills.”

He said youngsters in the township always ask him how they can get into radio. He said they tell him they can’t because of the red tape at the station and unwillingness of old talent to give others a chance.

“I was also afforded an opportunity. As a young man I would go visit both Radio Setswana and Radio Lebowa out of interest in radio production because I loved music, especially jazz.

“I looked up to Moses Mphahlele, who was a DJ at Radio Lebowa, and he showed me the ropes in radio. He became my mentor,” Mr Mashiane said.

He said he remembers his first day in the studio. “I was very shy. I could not be in front of a microphone. I was encouraged by Gertz Komane to be brave and handle the microphone well.”

He said he was a co-presenter with Mr Gertz Komane until he got used to hosting a show and he was able to run a radio slot on his own.

“I was therefore granted a chance to host my own show called Mmino wa-Jazz.”

He said he didn’t study for radio but he had a gift and he had passion.

“I was getting a stipend at the time and that was given to me right after each show. I was pleased. It was enough because from that I could afford my transport fare and I was pleased,” Mr Mashiane said.

“My audience was very pleased because I was playing what they know, that is mainstream Jazz, avant-garde jazz, contemporary jazz, fusion and indigenous jazz.

“I received call-ins from the listeners and during that time my spirit was very high. People knew and appreciated the kind of music I played and many wanted to see me personally.”

He said his first lesson from there was that presenters have to be disciplined, pay attention to their audience’s needs and abide by the station’s code of conduct.

Mr Mashiane had aspirations of becoming a teacher or a doctor but his parents were aged and couldn’t afford to put him through tertiary education.

“My highlight in my radio career was an interview with jazz artists Mr Jonas Gwangwa and Moss Mogale. Jazz has different facets and I wanted to gain insight as to what kind of jazz they played respectively,” Mr Mashiane said.

“They said they played eccentric jazz meaning the genre was meant to combine all people.

“I learnt a lot about jazz from my studio guests. That is from music production to how they applied knowledge gained from music academies.”

He said when the first Tembisa radio station called Tembisa Info Radio was formed, he put his broadcasting knowledge and experience to good use.

“Under the leadership of Mr Ranold Nkwe we were able have a proper, functional radio. It was the first time we had a radio station in the community of Tembisa, we were all excited and spirits were high”.

When the radio station closed down due to maladministration Mr Mashiane said the community was sad and suggested they establish another radio station.

“We mobilised the community. We put together a petition that was handed over to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and that would eventually earn us a second community radio station’s broadcasting licence. On December 5, 2005 the Voice of Tembisa radio was born,” he said.

Its function was to entertain and inform the community through the broadcasting of news and informative content.

“Content must build the community by the use of carefully selected words and constructive topical issues.

Presenters must not encourage the community to commit things like adultery, which is what we are exposed to on community radio today,” Mr Mashiane said.

The first presenters of VOT were Mr Sello Mashiane, Mr Thabo Setshele and Mr Clide Mbatha.

Radio will always play a leading role in bringing all people together to build a civil society in our community.