The Hot 91.9FM Radio Academy Awards

1 Mar 2019

The Hot 91.9FM Radio Training Academy Awards for 2018 were held in November last year and saw another 70 students graduate into the business of radio. The three-month course is an intensive hands-on programme with weekly lectures by industry peers who have a deep understanding of what radio is all about.

The Hot 91.9FM Radio Training Academy has been in existence for four years and is a free course, as prescribed by Hot 91.9FM’s license agreement. It is a sustainable mentorship course feeding young talent to the broadcasting industry and is yet another example of Hot 91.9FM`s commitment to radio development and the broader community.

Hot 91.9FM Programme Manager, Tony Murrell, enthused: “The Academy gives students an opportunity to find their voice and to learn the business of radio from some of the industry`s giants. The overall objective is to create future broadcasting stars for the industry at large.”

The 2018 programme included a new award segment, “The Radio Star Award”, which was awarded to three passionate students: Mzi Kaka, who is now presenting on Hot 91.9FM from 3am–6am weekdays, Simone Tretheway and Lucy Bodumele who will be working at the station in 2019 to gain work experience and the opportunity to be “fill-in” presenters.

The course includes the following areas of broadcasting:

Understanding the business of radio
Broadcast Etiquette
Voice and Breathing exercises
Microphone Technique
Show Preparation
Accessing Content
Knowing what the role of a producer
Air-checking your show
Designing Presentation Clocks
Understanding Music Scheduling
Listener Interaction
How to develop story telling abilities
How to keep audiences listening for longer
How to incorporate social media platforms into the show
Playback system
Recording & Editing
Content Platform Transfer
Multimedia Operations
Audience Research
RAMS Diary
AMPS
ICASA, BCCSA, ASA (the broadcast industry bodies)
Music Testing and Research Tools
Building content opportunities for online radio

HOT 102.7FM is Joburg's newest commercial radio station, broadcasting to the greater Johannesburg area and beyond on a powerful 10-kilowatt transmitter. The station's music format of "Old Skool and R&B" is complemented by a line-up of the best presenters, entertaining, amusing and compelling content, including pertinent, relevant news and traffic information.