Radio spreads its wings as SportsFire is syndicated, Ja.fm turns 1

SportsFire, powered by Ricoh and hosted by former CNN and 94.7 sports presenter, Graeme Joffe on Radio Today, is now on West Coast FM in Namibia, 90.3FM in Plettenberg Bay and 97.0FM in Kynsna. It is also podcasted on 2oceansvibe and provides content for a number of the university stations.

"I'm really happy to see the direction the show is going in and it now has a very settled format," said Joffe. "I want to give as many sports fans as possible the platform to have a go on."

Former SA Sporting greats

The show has is said to have some of the top analysts in the game with Dan Retief on rugby, ESPN's Ian Darke on English football, Kickoff.com's Thiyani Mabasa on local football and the lighter side of sport with the station's off the wall analyst, Malcolm Ferreira (stand-up comedian and former player 23).

Added to the mix is the 'Road to London', an interview with a SA Olympian and the 'Blast from the Past', going back in time to catch up with former SA Sporting greats to find out what they're up to now and to look back at their a careers.

The show is broadcast every Monday and Thursday night between 5.30-6.30pm on Radio Today, 1485am in Johannesburg, on DStv audio channel 169 and streaming worldwide on www.1485.org.za. For more, email az.oc.erifstrops@sreffoj or follow @joffersmyboy on Twitter.

First year successful

Ja.fm, launched in 2010 as a new type of online radio station from Jacaranda 94.2, allows listeners to control its playlist via an app called Listener Driven Radio (LDR). This formula appears to have been successful, as the station celebrates its first birthday. It attracts 8000 repeat visits per month with an average duration of 10-15 minutes per visit.

The birthday event will be emceed by veteran DJ Barney Simon and will feature stars of Afrikaans music in the form of Dans Dans Lisa, Bouwer Bosch and Amanda Strydom. This will be the first regular music event hosted by the station, with the aim of entrenching the loyalty of its audience.

Phillip Mostert, commercial lead for ja.fm, says, "Over the past year, we have managed to grow a significant audience, proving that this is a viable business model for niche radio stations. In addition to a nationwide audience, we are able to reach homesick Afrikaans-speakers around the world with music in their home language."

Adventurous playlist

The online radio station is supposedly also able to feature a more adventurous playlist than Jacaranda 94.2, bringing new and alternative artists to the market's attention. Numerous Afrikaans celebrities and music stars are consulted for input on the playlists, resulting in a diverse yet accessible selection of music.

The recent resurgence in Afrikaans music and everything 'Zef' is evidence that the Afrikaans language and its culture is stronger than ever. "The success of the Afrikaans music and the loyal following of Afrikaans artists on the radio stations clearly show the passion Afrikaans listeners have for tunes in the taal. This is an engaged and active audience," concludes Mostert.

For more, go to www.ja.fm, the Facebook page or follow @Jafmtunehom on Twitter.