947 (radio station)

Last updated

947
Broadcast area Gauteng (Terrestrial FM )
Africa ( DStv Channel 879)
Frequency 94.7 MHz
Programming
Format Contemporary
Ownership
Owner Primedia (private)
94.5 Kfm Radio 702 CapeTalk
History
First air date
1 September 1964
Links
Webcast Live stream
Website

947 (formerly 94.7 Highveld Stereo) is a radio station that broadcasts on the 94.7FM frequency from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Contents

Current on-air lineup

Weekly Lineup
ShowPresentersDaysTimes
947 DaybreakNick ExplicitMon – Fri05:00 – 06:00

History

The station first went on the air on 1 September 1964, [1] as the first SABC regional FM service, Radio Highveld. At that time the station broadcast hourly news bulletins and easy listening music. In September 1996 the SABC sold Radio Highveld to private enterprise. [2]

Today this station, along with a number of other radio stations in South Africa, is owned by Primedia.

On 1 September 2014 the station decided to drop the logo that they have been using for over a decade. The station is also no longer known as Highveld Stereo as the name changed to being just 947.

According to the latest BRC RAM figures shows that 947 has crossed the milestone of 1 million listeners per week. The survey indicated that 947 has 1,055,000 listeners, up from 704,000 year-on-year – a huge leap and one that makes 947 the biggest regional station in Gauteng.

Format and programming

According to SAARF, 947 (formerly 94.7 Highveld Stereo) is ranked as South Africa's 15th most listened to radio station, with an average weekly listenership of 1.2 million people. [3]

The target listener demographic is aimed at 25- to 40-year-olds, and as such the station tends to play contemporary "soft" rock, and current pop hits, but has moved away from playing the classic hits, which was consistent with their format up until a programming overhaul in 2010.

947 plays South African Music that record companies push, although the station has refused on many occasions to play any Afrikaans music. Other services to listeners include news bulletins and traffic reports for Johannesburg and Pretoria, although the frequency of these reports have often been criticised by listeners as being too frequent and annoying.[ citation needed ]

Breakfast show history

Rude Awakening

Once Radio Highveld was sold by the SABC, the "Rude Awakening" took over from the Mike Mills Show as the station's breakfast show. The show ran from 1997 to 2010 and featured Jeremy Mansfield as the anchor host, supported by (among others) Sam Cowan, Paul Rotherham, Graeme Joffe, Harry Sideroppolis, and Darren Simpson. In July 2010 Mansfield was stated that "The show needs to move forward and I don't see a role for myself in the new product offering. Management and the board have asked if I would assist with off air initiatives, which I am happy to do for the foreseeable future." [4] The format of the new breakfast show remained largely unchanged with the rest of the original team remaining as is.

Breakfast Xpress

On 2 August 2010, the station revamped the morning show by renaming it Breakfast Xpress [5] and appointing Darren Simpson as the new front-man in place of Jeremy Mansfield. The show has been criticised for its childish nature, unprofessionalism, and poor production. [6] The show became infamous for Whackhead's pranks which aired daily on the show. In 2017, Simpson announced that he would be leaving the breakfast show in order to spend more time with his family, but that he would nonetheless still host the station's drive-time show. [7] This left listeners feeling confused and betrayed when they discovered that Simpson was to be the new host of sister station KFM's Breakfast Show and stepping away from the afternoon drive show on 947. [8]

947 Breakfast Club

On 2 March 2017 it was announced that Anele Mdoda will be taking over the Breakfast show from 3 April 2017 with her existing crew – Alex Caige, Thembekile Mrototo, and Cindy Poluta – they welcomed a brand new member to the team: Frankie du Toit. [9]

Anele and the Club

In November 2020, 947 announced that its morning drive show has rebranded to Anele and the Club on 947. The station has also announced that the programme's new pay-off line is 'Joburg's Most Fun Breakfast Show'. [10]

Other presenters

Sam Cowen

Sam Cowen was co-host of the morning show The Breakfast express weekdays on 947. [11] After leaving the breakfast Express, she took over the afternoon slot on 702. After a short stint as host of the afternoon show, she was replaced by Azania. She left radio. Cowen co-authored, with Lee van Loggerenberg, The Irreverent Mother's Handbook (Cape Town: Oshun Books, 2009, ISBN   978-1-77020-085-2).

In 2014, Cowen completed the 7.5 kilometre swim to Robben Island in what was the coldest recorded water temperature ever for this route for first time swimmers. [12]

Zuma vs. Highveld

In response to Darren Simpson's parody of South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma's ongoing rape trial of 2006 –for which Zuma was acquitted– Zuma filed a defamation lawsuit on 30 June 2006, for the sum of R 5 million. [13] [14] Zuma originally filed for R 2 million, but this was upped when Highveld Stereo re-broadcast the allegedly offensive skit.[ citation needed ]

702 and 94.7 vs. Forum of Black Journalists

In early 2008 Highveld together with their sister station Radio 702 submitted a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission after the Forum of Black Journalists refused white journalists entry to a lunch with ANC President Jacob Zuma. [15]

Broadcast time

Listenership figures

Estimated Listenership [17]
7 DayAve. Mon-Fri
Feb 20131 380 000708 000
Dec 20121 354 000679 000
Oct 20121 421 000717 000
Aug 20121 522 000776 000
Jun 20121 450 000736 000

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SABC</span> State-owned public broadcaster in South Africa

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations (AM/FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's state-owned enterprises.

Robert Jeremy Clayton Mansfield was a South African radio and television celebrity. He worked on numerous radio stations as a presenter, and also presented numerous television shows and inserts for popular television magazine programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5FM</span> South African radio station

5FM is a South African FM radio station forming part of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), South Africa's public broadcaster. 5FM follows a Top 40 music format aimed at a youth market, together with news and sports coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacaranda FM</span> South African radio station

Jacaranda FM, previously known as Jacaranda 94.2, is a South African radio station, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans, with a footprint that covers Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West Province and boasts a listening audience of 2 million people a week and a digital community of more than 1.1 million people a month. The station's format is mainstream with programming constructed around a playlist of hit music from the 1980s, 1990s and now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Coast Radio (South Africa)</span> Commercial radio station in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

East Coast Radio (ECR) is a KwaZulu-Natal commercial South African radio station with an audience of approximately 2 million. It is one of the largest regional radio stations in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SAfm</span> National public radio station in South Africa

SAfm is a national, English-language public radio station in South Africa. It has been operated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) since its founding in 1936.

CapeTalk is a commercial AM radio station based in Cape Town, South Africa, broadcasting on AM/MW 567 to Cape Town. The station is also webcast via its website. It claims to be Cape Town's number one news and talk station, offering news, sport, business and actuality programming, with a high proportion of its airtime filled with phone-in debates. It was established in 1997. The station is owned by Primedia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munghana Lonene FM</span> South African radio station

Munghana Lonene FM is an SABC radio station broadcasting in Tsonga language in South Africa. In Tsonga, "Munghana Lonene" means "a true friend." Munghana Lonene FM is geared to listeners who understand Xitsonga. Munghana Lonene FM is branded as an "infotainment" radio station with a 50% split of music and talk. It offers an environment interactive with its listeners, providing a mixture of news, music, current affairs, talk shows, education, sport, weather and traffic. The music repertoire consists of Jazz, R&B, Kwaito, House, Gospel music and African music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio 702</span> South African radio station

702 is a commercial FM radio station based in Johannesburg, South Africa, broadcasting on FM 92.7 and FM 106 to the greater Gauteng province. The station is also webcast via its website. It claims to be Johannesburg's number one news and talk station, offering news, sport, business and actuality programming and plenty of phone-in debates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kfm 94.5</span> South African radio station

Kfm 94.5 is an adult contemporary radio station based in Cape Town, South Africa

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Pilgrim (presenter)</span> South African radio and television presenter (1969–2023)

Mark Pilgrim was a South African media personality who hosted numerous radio and television shows, most notably as a DJ on 5FM, Eastrand-oos Rand stereo, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, 94.5 Kfm, Hot919 and Hot102.7fm. On television, he hosted both seasons of Big Brother South Africa, the first season of Big Brother Africa, and the MNET game show Power of 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sick-Leaves</span> Musical artist

The Sick-Leaves is the solo project of Eksteen Jacobsz, an alternative rock artist from South Africa. Jacobsz is the songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and bassist for the act.

Tuks FM is the radio station of the University of Pretoria and one of South Africa's community broadcasters. It was one of the first community broadcasters in South Africa to be given an FM licence. Previously renowned for its alternative rock music offering, the station underwent a musical transformation, where its playlist was changed to reflect the student population. Tuks FM is a volunteer, campus station, meaning that it is completely operated by students, save for upper management.

Kfm Breakfast is the morning drive show on radio station 94.5 Kfm. It is the biggest breakfast show in the Western Cape, South Africa. 94.5 Kfm broadcasts to over 1.1 million listeners across a large section of south western South Africa.

Darren "Whackhead" Simpson is a comedian and radio presenter working for Primedia, a broadcasting company that owns the radio stations 947 and 94.5 Kfm in South Africa. He presented the morning show, Breakfast Express, on 947 in Johannesburg between April 2003 and March 2017, before moving to the Cape Town based sister station of 94.5 Kfm, to present a morning show, Kfm mornings.

Robert Marawa is a sports journalist, radio and television presenter. He is currently hosting Marawa Sports Worldwide aired on 947.

Primedia is a South African media group, headquartered in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Bridget Masinga is a South African actress, television and radio personality, fashion model and philanthropist. She placed 3rd in the 2002 Miss South Africa pageant and is known for her roles on the South African television shows Generations and Bay of Plenty, as well as for her work on radio. She hosts the Workzone 1 with Bridget Masinga on Jacaranda FM.

Anele Mdoda is a South African television presenter, radio personality, producer, businesswoman and author. Born and raised in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, Mdoda obtained a degree in Politics and International Relations at the University of Pretoria. Her career then began at the age of 20 in 2004 as a radio DJ. Mdoda is currently the host of 947's breakfast show Anele and The Club on 947.

References

  1. ↑ "MediaLibrary's History of SA Media...Media Sector...Broadcast". IBIS Media Data Services (Pty) Ltd. Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  2. ↑ Alexander, Mary. "South Africa's radio stations". SAinfo. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ "The Media Online". 41.215.233.179:8080. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Whackhead has own breakfast menu". News24. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  6. ↑ "My Christmas Wish". News24. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "Anele and Whackhead switch spots on 947". Channel. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "KFM line-up shuffle shocks". Channel. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "After 14 years Darren Simpson leaves 947 to focus on KFM". Channel. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Anele and The Club on 947 announce a rebrand". Media Update. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Sam's profile on Highveld Stereo". Africa on Air, A Division of New Primedia (Pty) Ltd. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008.
  12. ↑ "Sam Cowen Completes Gruelling Swim To Robben Island". SA Breaking News. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "Zuma to sue SA media for libel". BBC. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  14. ↑ Swart, Werner (3 July 2006). "Zuma sues media". The Citizen. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  15. ↑ "In respect of its public hearing relating to the Forum of Black Journalists and the issue of exclusive organisations" (PDF). Primedia Broadcasting. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  16. ↑ The Annual Guide to Radio in South Africa (AdVantage 2012). Media 24. 2012. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013.
  17. ↑ SAARF RAMS (Presentations)