A Tuks FM DJ team has fallen just three hours short of setting a Guinness World Record for the ‘Longest Marathon for a Radio Music Show – DJ Team’, which currently sits at 74 hours 03 minutes. DJ Cassie Clarke fell ill, and paramedics advised she give up the challenge.
Clarke and fellow Tuks FM DJ Alex Caige began their attempt on Friday afternoon in a studio set up in Pretoria’s Hatfield Square. But just three hours before they would have broken the record, Clarke fell ill.
“Cassie’s health and well-being is very important to us and we fully supported the recommendation from the paramedics that she leaves the broadcast to get some much needed rest,” said Loutjie van der Merwe, Station Manager, Tuks FM 107.2. “We really commend both Cassie and Alex for taking on this gruelling challenge and Cassie for making it this far. We respect Alex for his willingness to carry on with the broadcast for the full duration of the 75 hours.”
Many local celebrities, who visited them during their stint, supported the pair. Anele Mdoda, Daniel Baron, ProVerb, Locnville, Wresterish and The December Streets were just a few well-known names that popped in to encourage them in their mission.
“Even though we may not qualify for the world record, we are still happy to have conducted a live broadcast for this long and this is one of the firsts of the sort in South Africa,” said Caige. “The support from our fans and the great publicity that Tuks FM 107.2 received has been overwhelming.”
Tuks FM’s Bang Bang Breakfast show host Caige and Clarke took a year to plan their challenge, something Caige likened to being a “Comrades Marathon for radio” but also as “another form of recognition for the greatest job in the world”.
Clarke, a BA Sociology student at the University of Pretoria, said she grew up “absolutely obsessed with Guinness World Records, their annual record book was always first on my Christmas wish list and I want to obtain a ‘title’ that will be an eternal representation of my achievements.
“The amount of exposure will help me to broaden my network of connections and open up various avenues to improve as an individual and advance in the radio industry.”
Van der Merwe thanked “everyone involved in this mission – witnesses, auditors, dedicated volunteers and Tuks FM 107.2 staff for their ongoing support and assistance”.
And he promised that the Pretoria-based community radio station was not about to give up on their quest to break the record. After all, this is the station that delivered top DJ talent such as Gareth Cliff, Liezel van der Westhuizen and Anele Mdoda.
