THE NEWS YOU GET– SAFM
By: Lulu Dlamini
South African Frequency Modulation also known as SAFM is an award winning South African national radio station whose frequencies range from 104 to 107. They have received recognition by the MTN radio awards and Liberty Radio awards. SAFM reports on public news and are operated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). One probably asks themselves, "how does SAFM work?", There is so much that goes into radio that not many people get to see. The workers always pride themselves in the level of effort and skill they put into the news that gets broadcasted.
There is a process that goes into radio, and this process includes rotations, planning, news updates, advertising, promotions and having producers who can make the right connections, calls and know the right people to interview. Working at SAFM requires you to think on your feet and be heavily knowledgeable in politics, sports and current affairs. This helps you know which impactful public figure to address and who to interview. When you work in radio, there are people counting on you for news, updates and information. As soon as they listen to the radio, they know who and what they want to listen to. Working in a space such as SAFM requires a team, a group of qualified, skilled individuals who each have a task to make broadcasting possible, from the producers drafting headlines and relevant stories to editors and news readers making sure they say and do the right thing. The atmosphere is fast paced, strategic and requires you to have skilful planning and proper time management so every second counts!
What drives the workers of SAFM is their recognition on the kinds of role that they occupy, they know what their listeners want to hear every time they turn their radio on. “The only way to live is if you know what is going on” says producer of SAFM, Nthabiseng Chiloane. Radio is more than just news; it’s a type of communication that goes beyond connection of human interaction and stories. “The privilege of what you say, speak, and who you interview has an impact on the pulse of an entire nation” these words were said by the presenter for The National Pulse, Ashraf Garda.
SAFM is located at Auckland Radio Park in Johannesburg, but it is more than just a building, it carries history, a legacy and records of where radio started. This building was established in 1936 and is engulfed with multitudes of radio stations and preserved artifacts, old design pieces, advanced radio equipment and archives of the most important newspapers in our country.
They have older broadcasting material and equipment, that has long since been out of production, making them the one of the country’s most vital institutions for conservation. What they contain cannot be replaced. It holds the key moments in the countries’ history, since its conception. Capturing the beginning of the group areas act, the fall of apartheid, and our present day.
The SAFM building and the people who occupy it make news relevant, because without information, we would be lost. It isn’t news itself that makes it important, it’s the people who work with it that gives it meaning and those who can preserve it.
Article edited by: Munei Zoe Mbedzi
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