Radio 702
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Talk Radio 702 | |
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| City of license | Johannesburg |
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| Broadcast area | Gauteng, South Africa |
| Slogan | Joburg's No.1 News and Information Station |
| First air date | 1980 |
| Frequency | 702 KHz, 92.7 MHz, 106 MHz |
| Format | Adult talk radio, news and information |
| Owner | Primedia |
| Webcast | www.702.co.za/livestreaming |
| Website | www.702.co.za |
Radio 702, currently known as Talk Radio 702, is a commercial AM and FM radio station based in Johannesburg, South Africa, broadcasting on AM 702, FM 92.7 and FM 106 to the greater Gauteng province. The station is also webcast via its website. It claims to be Johannesburg's number-one current affairs and information station, offering news, sport, business and actuality programming, with plenty of phone-in debates. It was established in 1980 and was initially a youth music station, moving to the more adult talk format in 1988. During South Africa's apartheid era it was the only independent source of broadcast news. The station is owned by Primedia
Until 2006, Talk Radio 702 was broadcast only on the AM radio frequency. In March 2006, it won an application to move to the FM radio frequency, and the first FM broadcast took place on 24 July 2006.
[edit] History
Seeing a need for an independent radio station that would serve a multi-racial audience in the urban areas of South Africa's old southern Transvaal province, the station was started in 1980 by Issie Kirsh in the country's homeland of Bophuthatswana, which was at the time independent of South African rules and regulations.
Radio 702 was originally based on a successful music format pioneered by LM Radio broadcasting to South Africa from Mozambique, and Swazi Music Radio (SMR) which broadcast from Sandlane in Swaziland with studios in Johannesburg. SMR was established and operated by Issie and Natie Kirsh, the founders of Primedia which owns Radio 702. Many of the early announcers on SMR cut their teeth in broadcasting at LM Radio or worked there, like Gary Edwards, John Berks and Frank Sanders. LM Radio became Radio 5 (now 5FM) in 1975 when Mozambique gained independence. SMR was not very successful and was replaced by Radio SR which was the first South African radio station playing entirely music by black South African and American artists. Radio SR was an instant success and broadcast from the SMR studios and transmitters. Rob Vickers of LM Radio fame was the programme manager at Radio SR. When Issie Kirsh set up 702, he appointed Rob Vickers, Gary Edwards, Frank Sanders and Stan Katz, all of whom had worked on SMR / Radio SR as well as Clarke McKay who had previously worked at LM Radio and Springbok Radio. John Berks who had spent time on Radio 5 and later Capital 604 joined shortly thereafter. Cocky Two-Bull Tlhotlhalemaje, a jazz musician and broadcaster was the first black African to work on Radio 702. He helped to break down the barriers between the youth of all ethnic groups.
In the first 12 years of operation, 702 played a very important role in bringing news and information to the people of the Transvaal and Northern Cape. Because the transmitters were located in the nominally Independent homeland of Bophuthatswana, the South African government could not gag or influence the editorial and news content. To have done so, would have made a mockery of the "independence" of the homeland. This freedom of information and speech provided a platform for opponents of the apartheid administration and the station is recognised as having contributed to the peaceful transition of South Africa to the democratic society which now exists.
Members of 'banned' organisations, including the ANC itself, made use of the opportunity to use the medium to keep itself abreast of national political developments and put across its own views and stories.
The station kept pace with the changing political landscape, covering the major changes throughout the years with a professionalism and zeal that impressed even experienced international newspeople.
