Sharp-eared Virginian wins The 37

On 31 July 2023, OFM announced that as part of our 37th birthday celebrations, we would give listeners the chance to win R37,000 if they could correctly guess which songs were represented by 37 snippets mixed in a montage. The catch – contestants would only be allowed to submit one entry. At first, the montage was only played on air and later released for download online. Some listeners took a chance and entered as soon as they were confident they cracked it, others played it safe and
waited.

After the final clue was released, a deluge of entries were received. Many were correct, but who was first?

On 30 August 2023, it was revealed on OFM’s Good Morning Breakfast show that Jooste, who celebrated her 30th birthday the day before, was the contestant who was first across the line with all 37 songs submitted in the correct order.

“Wow, it’s amazing – thank you!” an overjoyed Jooste, who works as a drawing office coordinator at a mine proclaimed. She indicated that she will be spending her prize money on home improvements.

Jooste explains that she was very committed to The 37 competition. After downloading the crib sheet and staying glued to OFM, she started making notes of what she thought the songs were and got to about 30. “I then listened to OFM on 9 August and my sister and I wrote down all the songs that played. We could then eliminate the songs we had marked as male singers.” Jooste then tuned in again when OFM played The 37 montage clips unmixed but in reverse and picked up on some more songs. “I listened to the songs over and over on my phone until I was certain that the clips did come from them before I entered.”

Jooste’s perseverance paid off and her dedication saw her submit the first correct entry.

“The OFM 37 campaign proves that everyone loves a challenge and with R37,000 in the balance, this was the perfect way to surprise and delight the OFM listener and celebrate OFM’s 37th birthday,” says OFM programme manager, Tim Thabethe.

“The 37 certainly lived up to OFM’s ‘Showtime’ theme for 2023. It demonstrated that there definitely still is an appetite for the ‘old school’ radio promotion with all the flair and drama but with some modern elements mixed in. It was an absolute pleasure to serve this up for our audience and to see the strategies employed by the contestants. Some reached out and traded answers on social media, while some worked together as groups. It’s really heartening to see how Central SA took up this challenge and had fun with it. Well done to Nadia – a worthy winner indeed!” says content manager, Elzette Boucher-Krüger.

For more information email az.oc.mfo@gnitekram.

Why OFM

OFM, the Sound of Your Life, is Central South Africa’s premier commercial radio station, offering a mix of music, news, and entertainment. The station celebrated 35 years in the broadcasting industry in 2021. OFM is part of the Central Media Group, with its head office in Bloemfontein, and a satellite studio in Welkom.

The station serves the affluent SEM 7-10 economically active marketplace with a broadcast footprint across the Free State, Northern Cape, southern Gauteng and North West. OFM is synonymous with the people of Central South Africa, and includes a full spectrum of listeners, from urban working moms and dads to corporate professionals, as well as rural communities and agricultural producers.

The station has an incredibly loyal and supportive audience. OFM enjoys one of the highest occurrences of time spent listening to the radio in South Africa. This is achieved by the station’s great music offerings – such as playing listeners their favourite songs on the Request Network and counting down Central South Africa’s 30 biggest hits on the Central SA Top 30.

OFM offers several niche features – including a dedicated agricultural programme with three additional agricultural news updates a day, as well as a dedicated business programme with two additional economic news updates throughout the day.

Sport is close to OFM listeners’ hearts and is what brings much of Central South Africa together. The station is a proud partner, sponsor, and supporter of the Cheetahs, Griquas, and Leopards rugby teams as well as the Knights, Heat and Dragons cricket teams. OFM is committed to living the real good life, while at the same time helping Central South Africans to live their best lives.