"We are really surprised at how many people are already listening to us and it seems as if most taxis are tuned in to us - wherever we go we are receiving great comments," says station manager, Roger Fisher.
Cutting the ribbon is what the whole town of Knysna was waiting for on Tuesday evening, February 8, but the party to celebrate the launch of Knysna’s brand new local radio station was already well underway. In a very festive atmosphere, Knysna Executive Mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies did the honours.
"This is goosebump stuff," she smiled, looking very comfortable behind the microphone. "We believe this station will fulfil a need and is sure to be very successful."
Smith explained that Knysna has recently been awarded a permanent, low power transmission Commercial Sound Broadcasting Licence to operate a radio station based in the Woodmill Lane Shopping Centre.
"Knysna's own radio station at last. No more having to listen to news and information, such as weather and traffic, that is really only relevant to Cape Town or Johannesburg. The journey to achieve this has been a long one - four years indeed - since the initial licence application was submitted to Icasa, the government department responsible for broadcasting," said an exuberant Fisher.
The studios are situated in Woodmill Lane, located immediately above Chaplin's Café.
"The station owns its own transmitter, but Icasa only allowed us a low powered aerial. This means that, whilst most areas of Knysna get very good reception, those that are particularly in the outlying regions are not so well covered," he explained.
Called Knysna FM and broadcasting on 97,0 FM, the station is now in its third week of being on the air, (they started with practice runs a week prior to the launch) and broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Live programmes between 06:00 and 21:00 (or later) are provided by 15 presenters. Fisher emphasised that Knysna FM is a commercial station, broadcasting to and for the community. Said Fisher: "Its purpose is to entertain and inform the Knysna population, both residents and tourists. The format is about 80% music and 20% chat with the language being mainly English and Afrikaans with a sprinkling of Xhosa."
The talk element consists of local news and weather, public service information, stories, tourist information and a wide variety of sport and recreational topics from all around the lagoon. All the presenters are volunteers. The studio is fitted with a telephone hybrid system so that personal interaction can be achieved by means of phone-ins and competitions.
Knysna FM now affords small and medium sized businesses an opportunity to advertise directly to the residents of Knysna, at a very cost-effective price.
"Everyone, but everyone we talked to thinks that this radio station is one of the best things that has happened to this town for a long time, and from these comments I do think that we will be well supported by the public," confirmed a very pleased Fisher by the end of a very fun and productive first official week. "Although its is early days the station is being viewed as really belonging to the people of Knysna." For more information contact Knysna FM on 044 382 6609.
Knysna Executive Mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies with Knysna FM station manager, Roger Fisher. At the back are presenters Chantelle Cadwell and Bongi Lolwana.
ARTICLE: ANOESCHKA VON MECK
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