To celebrate Women's Day as well as Rhodes Music Radio's 31st birthday, the station delivered a 24-hour women only broadcast, celebrating all things feminine yesterday. RMR has come a long way since it was first aired in 1981 in the university cafeteria.
To celebrate Women's Day as well as Rhodes Music Radio's 31st birthday, the station delivered a 24-hour women only broadcast, celebrating all things feminine yesterday. RMR has come a long way since it was first aired in 1981 in the university cafeteria.
It is now a popular community mouthpiece. Continuing its birthday month festivities, RMR will host a birthday concert at Prime on Friday 17 August and a ‘meet your DJ booth’ during the upcoming Inter-varsity competition where listeners can interact with their favourite radio personalities.
RMR has bred DJs who have hit the big time like 5fm's Rob Vember, former 5fm DJ Nicole Fox and former Radio 702 presenter and Unicef celebrity ambassador Jeremy Mansfield. RMR established itself as an independent community radio station in 1995, broadcasting to the greater Grahamstown area on 89.7fm.
Competing with both local and national radio stations, the latest figures released by the South African Audience Research Foundation indicate that RMR currently has 10 000 listeners from all walks of Grahamstown life. It seems the combination of young and vibey music and presenters coupled with keeping the station's roots in the community keep listeners tuned in.
According to RMR station manager Rungano Zendera, “all our content is designed to reach the people of Grahamstown. Each show contains features that will appeal to teenagers, students and members of the community. It's not just for Rhodes.”
Community Engagement
RMR has reached into the community by regularly hosting workshops that encourage and educate school pupils who aspire to work in radio. The station also encourages community based projects to advertise, host shows or do interviews, which has resulted in awareness and personal investment from the citizens of Grahamstown.
