Jacaranda FM won big a few weeks ago when it landed the coveted Station of the Year Award at the 6th annual MTN Radio Awards, held on 18 April at the Sandton Convention Centre, where radio professionals and stations were recognised for their work in 2014.
Jacaranda GM Kevin Fine spoke to me exclusively about the win and how the station has transformed itself recently...
1. Congratulations! How has the station celebrated its wins over the past weeks?Fine: We've been very busy thanking every person involved, from our board to our clients, every member of staff, our partners and listeners. We're still planning a little bash as it's very important to celebrate success, and this is a particularly prestigious honour that's been bestowed, so we won't miss the chance to let our hair down soon. But for the moment we're all working hard to prepare for BP Jacaranda Day on 23 May, which is our next big event.
2. Sticking to the future then, what does the 'Station of the Year' title mean for Jacaranda, going forward?Fine: I really feel it tells a story about who we are today. The station has gone through a metamorphosis over the past four years. Those changes have been recognised by the industry and we're very humbled. It also gives us further impetus to continue producing great work on all our platforms, and inspires us to want to make better content, shows, entertainment, provide news, and engagement opportunities with our current and new audience. And it also signals, with a big red flag, that something special is going on inside our building and on the air, and this should be a real eye-opener, or should I say ear-opener, not only to consumers but also to advertisers and clients that are looking to engage our 2 million strong listening community and our 1-million strong digital community.
The fact is, we are the most engaged radio station on Facebook as well at 25,5k engagement per month, and that tells us too that we are doing something right with our content. People want to consume, share, and engage with us, both traditionally and digitally.
3. Definitely another win. Tell us about the station's other award wins this year and what this says of the calibre of DJs and content produced by Jacaranda.Fine: Well, Barney Simon is the ultimate professional, and being recognised for his calibre of work is testament to his work ethic. He is also truly interested in his subject matter, and wants to provide great listening and viewing moments for our audience. He's done such a great job over his many years of making radio. His three awards are testimony to this.
Martin Bester has been consistently nominated for his work three times over the last three years. To maintain that kind of energy on a show, and keep together a cast of thousands plus his audience should be seen as a model to young broadcasters who want fame and fortune overnight. Martin and Barney prove that talent isn't everything and it's about having your heart in the right place, wanting the best for your audience and absolutely delivering on the station mandate.
4. Sounds like a winning model for your listeners and clients are the real winners, who you've called the 'true winners'...Fine: Well, they get to consume our product every day, not just on air, but on their mobiles, on TV and on desktops. Our product is a phenomenal one, which caters for a broad segment of society. It's about connecting people through music, which is a universal language, and moving away from the stereotypes that have defined radio for so long in this country. We're very proud of our ability to embrace our audience and their needs, from a content, talent, music, information and engagement point of view. As we continue to grow our audiences on all platforms, we will continue to win the hearts and minds of more South Africans, just as we captured the hearts and minds of the radio industry with the multiple nominations and wins. While these validate what we do, it really pushes us to want to involve more and more people in our conversations and share in the joy of Jacaranda FM.
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