Despite the lack of an official statement from MSG Afrika, and attempts by The Media Online to get an update from the media company, it appears moves are being made behind the scenes regarding its two new radio stations.
A tweet by Bob Mabena, group head of programming for MSG Afrika’s subsidiary, MSG Broadcasting, called for applications for positions at the new radio stations, Rhythm FM, which will be based in the Eastern Cape and Beat FM, which will call the Free State home.
Radio Content Producers, Presenters, News Journalists, Engineers, Sales, Marketers, send your CVs to opportunity@msg-group.co.za for Eastern Cape and Free State!!!
— Bob “The Jammer”Mabena (@mabena_bob) June 12, 2018
When The Media Online approached MSG Afrika for an update on when the stations would be officially launched, we were met with this response: “We will communicate in due course about the two stations.”
The situation dates back over two years. Sandra Gordon, publisher of The Media Online and The Media magazine, attended an event at which MSG Afrika Group CEO and founder, Given Mkhari, announced the upcoming launch of two new radio stations. [You can read Gordon’s story about the announcement here.]
Mkhari indicated that they would be launching in the latter half of 2016. He stated, at the event, that doubling MSG Afrika’s radio assets (Power FM and Capricorn FM are live) by adding the two stations would make MSG Afrika Group “the largest, privately owned radio network in South Africa”.
But since then, nothing has happened. Over the past two years there has been much rumour and speculation. And while many people have hypothesised many reasons as to why Rhythm FM and Beat FM have not officially launched yet, there is no doubt that MSG Afrika has had people talking.
And when the two new stations are launched, it will be interesting to see how much listenership they can snatch from other stations and what impact they will have on revenue generation for MSG Afrika.
