From Monday, 4 July 2005, a new voice is going to shake up the airwaves in Jo'burg. Chris Jordan (25) will take the weekdays 7pm to 10pm hot seat on 94.7 Highveld Stereo. Jordan has an extensive radio background having hosted for several years on campus radio station Tuks FM 107.2 (where he was known as 'Papa G'), including the afternoon drive.
94.7's Station manager, Ravi Naidoo, says he is very excited about the new addition. "Chris has a fresh new approach to radio. He's young, he's funky, he's energetic, and he certainly fits into our campaign to source and grow new local talent." Formally known on Tuks FM as "Papa G", Chris Jordan opted to assume his real name in the world of commercial radio.
The sound of the 7pm to 10pm slot will change slightly with Jordan's arrival. The first two hours of the show will comprise some of the hippest tunes on the station with the advent of the new HOT 30 countdown. This new feature will highlight the hottest requested songs of the day by the listeners of 94.7 Highveld Stereo.
The slot was formerly hosted by the controversial Revin John and Lloyd de Bruin and has been filled by 'caretakers' Mark Pilgrim and Julio Garcia in recent months.
The Monday to Friday 9pm to 10pm hour will be co-presented by Chris Jordan and Sebolelo Makoanyane. This hour will feature Desperate & Dateless on Mondays and Wednesdays, where Chris and Sebolelo will play Cupid for lonely hearts.
Naidoo is confident that Jordan will surpass all expectations. "We've taken him on to add value to an already talented line-up," he says. "The station can only benefit from this addition."
Richard Perry, Tuks FM station manger says he is proud of the progress made by Tuks FM. "We at Tuks FM are aiming to be complimentary to commercial broadcasters and are very thrilled to be supplying dynamic and talented people to Highveld, it's another feather in our cap to have someone like Chris be a part of Jo'burg's largest commercial station," he said.
Chris Jordan has described his appointment at 94.7 Highveld Stereo as "an amazing opportunity at one of this country's most popular radio stations". He added, "I'm still getting over the fact that I'm sharing a bathroom with radio legends Alex Jay and Jeremy Mansfield! The thought of calling 94.7 my home has me going to bed and waking up with butterflies in my stomach". He continued, "I plan to take the 7pm to 10pm show to the next level: it's all about the hits, entertainment and real radio with a voice you can relate to, crack a funny with and introduce to your mother."
As of the 4th of July, 94.7 Highveld Stereo will have a new line-up, with a host of new trainees coming on board:
Weekdays 5am - 6am:
The new pony in the 94.7 stable is Kate Kearney. She was the winner of the RAW Recruit, a Rude Awakening initiative, which sourced talent from across Jo'burg to find the best young, untapped presenters the city had to offer. 21-year-old blonde Kate ticked every box. Armed with a diploma in TV/radio broadcasting and drama, she landed herself a job at CNA Retail Radio but set her sights on the big-time that is commercial radio and 94.7 in particular. "I was overwhelmed to win RAW Recruit," she says," It's a dream come true for me." Kearney is taking over from Paul Rotherham in a regular 5am - 6am slot preceding the Rude Awakening.
Traffic:
Bongani Nxumalo, another RAW Recruit will be presenting the traffic on the Rude Awakening officially from the 11th off July. Nxumalo has toured with the internationally acclaimed stage play, The Lion King and continues to sing locally.
10pm-1am - weekdays:
Cross over with Chris Jordan for Desperate and Dateless for Sebolelo Makoanyane - her love of radio overtook her television career. Having done a stint on etv's Toasty show, she wanted to expand her media repertoire. "I recorded a radio demo with a friend and had so much fun putting it together, that I swore to get onto radio even if it killed me." She cut her teeth at a community radio station in the Vaal for three years before she got her break at Highveld.
Weekends:
Changes on weekends see Patrick Hayworth take over breakfast from Simon Parkinson who has taken on a management role at Primedia Broadcasting. Mark Pilgrim will present two shows, the new chart show on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and the Sunday 10am - 2pm show.
The weekend afternoon time slot 2pm - 6pm will be anchored by Chilu Lemba. Julio Garcia retains both the 6pm - 10pm shows, including two hours of HomeBrew from 7pm - 9pm. The 10pm - 1pm Saturday and Sunday shows will be shared by Amon Mokoena and Brad Brown respectively.
