media update’s Aisling McCarthy chatted to James about his move.
Making the move to 5FM
As of 1 May, James has been a co-host on
The Thabooty
Drive on
5FM and he says he is thrilled to be joining a team of this calibre.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better team. I have the world of respect and admiration for all these guys,” James tells
media update, adding that he has always been a fan of his new co-hosts.
“I grew up listening to
The Fresh Drive with Duran on sport, and I was also the biggest fan of
The Thabooty Show. Also when Sibs reads the news – it does something to my heart.”
Having started his radio career at
East Coast Radio (ECR), the Durban station was sad to see James go. ECR’s programming manager, Zane Derbyshire, who has worked with James since he began his radio career, said
on their website that he would always be a part of the
ECR team.
“We’re saddened that he will no longer be with the station; however, the opportunity that awaits him is something we believe will catapult his career to the next level.”
James says that
ECR will always hold a special place in his heart, but that he feels
5FM was the right choice for him. As he falls into the target audience of the station, he says that it will make his job at
5FM easier as he has a good understanding of the target market.
“
East Coast Radio were nothing but good to me, and I learned a lot from them. However, it made sense that I make the move based on my age (23) and
5FM was a fitting choice. And an absolute dream!”
An unusual start to a radio career
James took an unusual path to get into the radio world; winning a
Twitter competition run by
ECR. The competition required contestants to send voice notes to the station as their entries and the winner would become part of the
ECR team.
“I had no interest in entering, mostly because it seemed bizarre that someone would get a job on radio via Twitter,” James tells
media update.“A friend of mine finally convinced me to send a voice note on the last night of the competition. I got a call the next day from the programming manager at
ECR, and the rest was history.”
ECR says that James progressed quickly through their presenter-training program after joining the team. He initially presented the 04:00 to 06:00 weekday show and quickly moved to the
Weekend Breakfast Show.
“We are very proud that we were part of discovering and mentoring him, and he will always remain part of the
East Coast Radio family,” Derbyshire said.
Although, before the Twitter competition, James had never considered a career in radio, he says music has always featured in his life.
“Music is my first love and it has been a big part of my life since childhood. I grew up in a household that sang all the time.”
It was this love for music, which encouraged James to enter
Idols SA Season 9 and lead him to finish 17
th out of over 80 000 entrants.
“
Idols was a great experience for me and really gave me an inside look at the entertainment industry,” James tells
media update.
His future in radio
As for his future in the radio industry, James says that working at
ECR has taught him lessons for which he will always be grateful.
“I hosted the weekend breakfast at
ECR and that was great because it taught me how to work with a team of people.”
Having also filled in for
ECR’s Drive Show quite often, James has had a taste for the environment.
“I’m used to the environment but, at the same time, this is a huge jump as this is a national station and I’m working with some pretty talented people.”
Although he is Durban born and bred, James says his move to Johannesburg was a great thing as it is where the industry is and that the opportunities are endless.
“I can't wait to fully immerse myself in the culture of
5FM. I know this job comes with a lot of cool opportunities, so I'm excited for the future and all that it promises.”
For more information, visit
the 5FM website. Alternatively, connect with James on
Twitter or on
Facebook.
Interested in where radio is going? Read more in our article,
John Robbie reveals the future for radio in South Africa.