5FM radio has announced a new set of programming changes from 1 April 2005. In the new line-up, Zuraida Jardine will make the move to primetime and TV personality Elana Afrika joins the station, while Sasha Martinengo and Ian F team up for a new show. Gone are: metal head, Barney Simon and dance king, Derek "The Bandit".
Following the late night-success of her 10pm weekday show, Zuraida Jardine will be on-air from 9am-12pm on weekdays from 1 April. Her new show will be tailor-made to sustain the midmorning energy rush on 5FM, following The Mark Gillman Breakfast Show (6-9am). "I am ecstatic to be awarded this fantastic opportunity. I look forward to daytime radio, with its new challenges, possibilities and most of all, befriending a brand new audience," says Jardine.
The new 5FM schedule once again sees the teaming up of Sasha Martinengo and Ian F, who will now co-present the extended 12 noon to 4pm 'F & Martinengo' slot on weekdays. The news is bound to please the station's fans as the duo holds the record for the most listeners on the station's Top 40 show, which they co-hosted a few years ago.
Martinengo and Ian F are gearing up in a big way for their new show. They are popular for their contagious energy and offbeat humour as a duo, coupled with top-notch music. "Change is always good. We enjoy working together and listeners clearly appreciate our non-pretentious, down-to-earth approach as two buddies having fun on radio. Brace yourself - F & Martinengo are back!" they say.
The new four-hour F & Martinengo-show gives the station the opportunity to more closely align the starting time of The Gareth Cliff Afternoon Drive Show, one of the station's most popular shows, to drive-time listening patterns. Gareth Cliff's show moves an hour later to 4pm, delivering his unique in-your-face brand of real radio.
The Nicole Fox Show continues to provide an upbeat, cutting-edge accompaniment to 5FM evenings from 7pm.
Elana Afrika, who will host the 4am to 6am slot on weekdays, completed her Performing Arts-studies at the University of Stellenbosch and immediately started presenting a young adult TV show called "JIP", which is still running on KykNet (DStv); her presenting jobs eventually also started including M-Net Africa continuity as well as "B on Go" and "B on M-Net". She was co-presenter on Radio Jacaranda's breakfast show for the past few years.
Koula, whose current early morning 4am-slot will be taken over by Elana Afrika, now moves to Zuraida's previous slot at 10pm on weekdays.
Koula's move to 10pm on weekdays is a good illustration of the effective training and development platform provided by early morning-slots. Her growth as an on-air presenter in the 4am-slot, and her increasing popularity as a local music industry celebrity were instrumental in her move to late night-radio. On Friday nights, Koula will also host the internationally renowned Ministry of Sound-show - delivered hot off the decks from the UK every week; she will also continue to present the 5FM Top 40 every Sunday from 10am.
5FM's revered house/electronic music-connoisseur Roger Goode swaps slots with the station's hip hop-aficionado Kamza on Sundays. Roger's popular Saturday Surgery stays where it is, followed by a new house music show (titled Release Yourself) from US dance producer/DJ extraordinaire Roger Sanchez every Saturday from 10pm. Gareth Cliff's sport presenter, Joe Mann, premieres in a new slot on Saturday mornings.
2005's 5FM line-up changes are indicative of the station's ongoing commitment to delivering the best in radio entertainment to its young adult listeners - all across South Africa. Programme Manager Nick Grubb says of the changes: "These don't represent major surgery on the programming - it's essentially the second stage of the process we began two years ago that entailed researching what our audience, and future audience, wanted - and giving it to them. We have the strongest stable of on-air talent in the country and I for one can't wait to hear all the shows develop and entertain in a way that will continue our growth trend into the foreseeable future!"
Contracts with Barney Simon and Derek "The Bandit" Richardson were not renewed for the new 5FM line-up. "It's been a long and successful partnership with both personalities, and they have been firm friends of the station. We recognise their enormous contribution to the brand over the years, and I wish them every success in their broadcasting futures ahead," says John Langford, 5FM Station Manager.
