Turn on, tune in, drop everything for this party
● Take one of the most glamorous couples on radio, a “woke” young upstart and throw in a jock who thinks he cheated by snaring a big award.
Add every comedian’s worst nightmare, a coronary-inducing meal and a touching moment paying tribute to the medium’s golden oldies.
The Liberty Radio Awards had all the twists and turns of an episode of Makarapa City, the radio soapie that landed the night’s gong for best drama.
We were gathered at the Sandton Convention Centre for the annual knees-up for the mostly blokes (and a handful of gals) who entertain us on our radios. Walking into the foyer outside the ballroom where the event was held, I greeted that glam couple Masechaba Ndlovu and Moeti Tsiki (better known as Mo Flava) who were nominated for their drive-time slot on Metro FM.
Masechaba, wearing a long off-the-shoulder gown by The Showroom Couture, was in the midst of proffering advice to a new radio voice, YFM’s Khutso Theledi.
I said a quick hello to another of the night’s nominees, David O’Sullivan, who had tough shoes to fill after taking over from Bob Mabena on
Kaya FM’s breakfast slot.
Clearly David’s move has paid off — he went head-to-head against Algoa’s Daron Mann, CapeTalk’s Kieno Kammies, my mate Darren Maule of East Coast Radio, Sebasa Mogale (Thobela FM), Tumi Morake and Martin Bester (Jacaranda) and Justice “Just Ice” Ramohlola (Radio 2000) in the night’s toughest category.
“Everyone here is a potential winner, but at the end of the night we’ll all be a bunch of losers with a tiny group of winners,” said David matter-of-factly.
Also downplaying his nod was Tom London, whose programme, Tom London Breakfast, was nominated in the community radio category.
“I’m nominated in a category where the other guys had to work for over 200 days, whereas I only did it for two months – I feel like I’m cheating,” said the outspoken jock, who confided that he left Radio Today after not being paid for his time on air.
In the ballroom I greet Liberty’s Sydney Mbhele before making my way to my cheap seat at the back of the hall, thankful for the big screens. There, I tuck into my bocconcini, sun-dried tomato and artichoke starter.
I’d forgotten how witty MC David Kau is — his opening line about the lyrical sparsity of gqom track Omunye by Distruction Boyz was hysterical, and so was his description of radioheads’ knack for switching stations. He singled out Glen Lewis, who left Metro FM to go “buffering with Tbo Touch and he’s left again — he’s at another radio station”.
But while Kau claimed it would be a “new dawn” of brevity for his second year hosting the awards, he failed to whittle down a drawn-out quip — so much that a couple of tables stage right applauded in the middle of it all, forcing him to cut it short. Ouch! While there is not space to mention winners in all 30 categories, congrats to Masechaba and Mo Flava for scooping the drive award, David for the commercial brekkie host gong while Tom London didn’t get on stage to accept his gong.
Station of the year went to Algoa FM.
We all rose for that heartwarming moment when Kevin Savage, Wilson B Nkosi and Lesedi FM broadcaster Thuso Motaung were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
One of the night’s youngest winners was Nicholas Lawrence of Tuks FM, whose “young, woke and urban” style landed him the breakfast presenter gong in the campus radio category.
On to grub, our mains included heart-disease friendly “New York style” beef fillet with marrow and mushroom duxelle, veg and potato gratin. Dessert was cookies and cream gourmet popcorn.