The good old days of radio
THE charming medium of radio turned 100 on December 18, 2023. The first broadcasts a century back could be heard in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. In celebration of this milestone, a book titled My Radio Memory was released on Freedom Day.
It is edited by Robin Sewlal, the chairperson of Radiocracy, who has been in the radio business for more than 40 years.
The doyen of the broadcasting industry in the country, David Gresham, says in his foreword that he is honoured to have been invited by Sewlal to share his thoughts.
He adds that it is fitting to have had marvellous contributions from 100 listeners from all walks of life and dotted across South Africa for this must-have collection.
The book comprises a snapshot of radio history, listing of songs about radio, This Day in History, stories on past stations, punchlines from old radio commercials, 100-year-old entities and individuals as sidebars, and smart radio quotes.
Stations that were on-air but are no more include Radio Truro, Radio Phoenix, Capital Radio, Springbok Radio, Radio Freedom, Swazi Radio, Punt Geselsradio, Radio Maritzburg, Radio Bop, Southern Sound and Peace Radio.
People like Zakia Ahmed Siddiqi, Martin Rattle, Stan Katz and Martin Bailie penned the pieces for their respective stations.
Leonard Baumann pioneered Bakers Biscuits in the country. He is aged 100, and you can read a beautiful article on him by Lorna Charles.
The other sidebars include Langa township in Cape Town, Kingsmead, and women legal practitioners.
My Radio Memory pays tribute to the likes of Kreme, Dukes Combo, Los Pepitos, Zayn Adam and Pacific Express,
Vivenne Kingsley, Lionel Pillay, Steve Fataar and The Flames, Flood, Spirits Rejoice, and The Blue Ricks headed by Danny Pillay.
Musicians who wrote articles for the publication are Madala Kunene, ex-Clout member Cindy Alter, Jonathan Handley, Wendy Oldfield, Neill Solomon and Melvin Peters.
After all, as Sewlal reminds the reader in his message in the book, music on the stations around the world makes up the greater proportion of the programming.
Some of the other contributors are Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, John Webb, Executive Producer at Carte Blanche, Judge Soma Naidoo, Kevin Ritchie, former Editor of Post’s sister publication The Star, and Professor Gilbert Motsaathebe of North West University.
Stalwarts such as Jugadheesan Devar, Ruthnam Pillay, Farida Ismail, RB Ram,
BK Chinnah and Zuby Mohammed are remembered.
This collector’s item contains some never-before-seen photographs.
The 202-page (cover-to-cover) publication is available by emailing MyRadioMemory@radiocracy.co.za
Proceeds from the sales go toward the Radiocracy Community Outreach Programme that incorporates the Quest for Literacy initiative.