New radio manager to grow station

With only two months on the job, newly appointed Izwi Lethemba FM station manager Thapelo Selepe has already formed a partnership with Port Elizabeth-based Bay TV.

Izwi Lethemba was recently announced as the winner of the highly coveted Beat Magazine award for best community radio station.

Izwi Lethemba FM, which is located in Parkside, was established in 2012 and after a tumultuous period the radio station hired Gauteng native, Selepe, as station manager. The former journalist is already making strides that prove his worth.

Speaking to the Saturday Dispatch, Selepe said one his major achievements so far was landing the partnership with Bay TV.

He said the partnership meant the two stations would work together in covering news and events, therefore merging TV and radio.

Selepe said his appointment was meant to bring stability and form to the station.

“One of the biggest challenges – and this is always the case with community radio stations – is the lack of a management structure, so another achievement so far is having made those crucial management appointments,” said Selepe.

The church minister and businessman said another glaring challenge was the station’s image which seemed to speak to only to the religious.

He said the station did not belong to a particular group or individual and as a result they had been spending a lot of time amending their licence.

He believes that programming sells the station and that diverse programming ensures a wider reach of listeners and for this, he says, Sentech has been working with them to help improve their coverage.

Selepe, who holds a media studies qualification from Wits University said he hoped his extensive experience in radio and broadcasting would give him the edge he needed to fulfil his duties.

Selepe started his career in a community radio station in Spruitview and in 2000, while working for Kasi FM, he received an opportunity to be a correspondent for a Canadian-based radio station, Radio Diversity.

Selebe said he believed he would be able to turn the station around.

“We are currently busy with the training and development of our presenters and even advertisers have now started showing faith in the station again,” said Selebe. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za