Radio journo to host midnight talk show
SEASONED radio and television journalist Siphiwo Magoda has taken over as the new host of Umhlobo Wenene’s popular midnight talk show Umxholo.
Magoda replaced veteran journalist Luzuko Koti, who has joined the Nelson Mandela Foundation as its director of communication and outreach.
Magoda took over Umxholo, which means “a topic”, on February 1 after Koti’s five-year stint ended.
Formerly known as 12 Down, the show airs from 12am to 3am, Monday to Friday and boasts a 500 000-strong listenership.
UWFM station manager Phumzile Mnci, who expressed excitement about Magoda’s appointment said: “I have no doubt that Mr Magoda will take the show to greater heights due to his experience as a journalist and a tried-and-tested broadcaster.
Magoda is not new to the SABC, having enjoyed a career spanning 20 years at the public broadcaster.
He started his career in 1982 at Radio Transkei as an operations controller.
During his stint at the station he held many positions including news reporter, news reader, senior reporter and news and current affairs anchor. The well-travelled Magoda has worked as a trainee journalist at the British Broadcasting Corporation in London.
He also spent some time at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto.
During the early days of his career, Magoda worked as an intern at the CBC’s St Johns Radio and Television in Newfoundland in Canada.
Back at home, Magoda worked as a news reporter for SABC2’s current affairs show Good Morning South Africa.
Among the highlights of Magoda’s career includes covering the historical elections in 1994, where he interviewed all major South African political party leaders.
Saturday Dispatch was unable to get comment from Magoda yesterday at the time of writing. — malibongwed@ dispatch.co.za