#BehindtheSelfie with... Stephen Werner, station manager at KFM
1. Where do you live, work and play?
I’m a born-and-bred Capetonian. I grew up in Tokai, attended Bergvliet High and now live in Green Point. I also work in Green Point, and play in town and the southern suburbs, with the occasional trip to one of our beautiful wine farms in the Cape.
2. What’s your claim to fame?
I’m now the station manager for Kfm 94.5. We broke the BRC’s most recent Rams’ results records from May 2019 for the highest number of listeners in the Western Cape, with more than 900,000 regional listeners per week.
That’s why I’m always wearing earphones, with music providing the perfect soundtrack to my day.
3. Describe your career so far.
Incredibly rewarding – and never a dull moment! Working in commercial radio is a lifestyle, not just a job.
I started my career as a freelance producer on our Cape Town talk radio station, 567 CapeTalk in 2005. I dreamt of a career as a filmmaker, but this is when the radio bug bit, in my early 20s.
I become morning show producer for the station in 2006 and worked across the talk format until the end of 2007.
4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.
I’m a music lover, I collect vinyl records, and have a love for vintage Bang & Olufsen audio equipment, which I restore in my spare time. Oh, and I enjoy the occasional glass of Chenin.
5. What do you love about your industry?
The pace, creativity, working with interesting people, and the opportunity to connect with audiences and tell great stories.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
I’m usually up at 5.30am. I check email, aircheck the morning show and aim to get to the office by 7.30am. Much of my day is filled with meetings with programming, sales and marketing, as well as talent and show sessions. I usually destress with a workout at the gym, or a walk to the promenade (in summer!)
7. What are the tools of your trade?
Tenacity, patience, an ability to formulate and follow a clear strategy.
It’s also critical to be able to effectively coach talent and teams. It’s also important to maintain openness to learning as part of your leadership journey.8. Who is getting it right in your industry?
9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.
There’s certainly a lack of talent development in the industry – not only in the Western Cape, but across the country.
It’s important that we continue to search for the next wave of broadcast talent and storytellers, both on- and off-the-air.
10. What are you working on right now?
My summer body, and of course our next big station campaign.
11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.
“Agitate”, “surface” and “digital-first”.
12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
In the shower.
13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?
I’m known for my awful impressions of people.
14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
Technophile, definitely. I’m usually that guy who discovers the latest tech or trends before others.
15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?
Pics of my family, WhatsApp chats with my team, station-related content, and the finest collection of memes.
16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?
In a South Africa with limited job opportunities, it calls for more agility and being open to new career paths and not being hung up on what you studied.Be passionate, hungry and driven. Be willing to take feedback and learn, and realise it takes hard work to succeed.
Simple as that. Email Werner, follow him on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram; and follow KFM on their LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube feeds, as well as the Primedia Broadcasting press office, for the latest updates.
*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
