East Coast Radio celebrated its 30th birthday on Friday, 9 October, by taking the party to listeners across KwaZulu-Natal, sharing treats, creating memorable moments and giving back to the people at the heart of its story.
Under the birthday theme 30 years. Because of you ECR brought four of its shows out of the studio and into local establishments across the province, inviting listeners to celebrate alongside their favourite presenters.
East Coast Breakfast broadcast live from Humble Coffee in Windermere, where the celebrations included a major moment in The ECR Fugitive competition. The lucky listener, walking away with R30,000 after the ECR Fugitive was tracked down at the venue.
The birthday celebrations continued across KZN. Carol Ofori welcomed listeners to Platō Coffee in Shelly Beach, Danny Guselli took the party to Yard 41 in Howick, while Stacey and J Sbu celebrated with listeners at Tylers in Umdloti.
At each location, ECR treated listeners to a selection of treats from the establishments hosting the celebrations. A lucky listener attending the festivities also walked away with a R3,000 cash prize, adding to a day centred on appreciation, connection and shared experiences.
For East Coast Radio, turning 30 was about more than marking a milestone. It was an opportunity to thank the listeners, communities and partners who have helped shape the station since it first went on air in 1996.
Mzuvele Mthethwa, managing director of East Coast Radio, says: “Thirty years of East Coast Radio is thirty years of KZN stories, voices, music, laughter and memories. None of that happens without our listeners. This birthday was about taking the celebration to them, thanking them for being part of our journey and creating new memories together.”
The celebrations form part of ECR’s wider 30th birthday campaign, which includes The ECR Fugitive and an additional R100,000 social media competition designed to give listeners another way to be part of the milestone.
For those who could not join the station at one of its birthday outside broadcasts, the online competition offers an opportunity to get involved. Listeners are invited to complete the social media survey for a chance to win a share of the R100,000 prize pool.
The competition reflects the thinking behind the birthday theme: after thirty years of being part of KZN’s story, East Coast Radio wants to hear more about the people who have made its journey possible.
Listeners can take part in the R100,000 social media survey competition here: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1530748175765144&set=a.609998771173427.
The birthday celebrations and The ECR Fugitive are part of a wider campaign putting R500,000 in prizes up for grabs, with R400,000 allocated to The Fugitive and R100,000 to the social media competition. Competition terms and conditions apply.
From the familiar voices on air to the local businesses that opened their doors, the listeners who came out to celebrate and the communities that continue to support the station, ECR’s 30th birthday was a reminder that its story has always been about more than radio.
