Durban Youth Radio shakes up the airwaves

THERE’S a fresh, exciting new buzz on the airwaves over Durban these days as Durban Youth Radio (DYR) adds a fun, funky new choice for listeners tuning into FM 105.1 on their radios. We went along to meet programme manager, Andy Kerr who shares with us his fascination and love for radio.

The Glenwood resident worked his way up and into the station from being a one-time-DJ in 2009 to the programme manager he is today. “We at DYR are into breeding young talent and creating young talent rather that using too many known industry players. We do have a few well seasoned radio personalities like Kevin Minter-Brown and Cameron Claassens,” he added.

Kerr admits he did not do well in the formal education system and after a few run-ins with school authorities, he decided to start working in the entertainment industry where his passion lay. He was only 12 years old when he enjoyed child roles on the theatre stages of Durban. “I’ve always had a love for music and radio, I loved the idea of entertaining people -making or keeping them happy and occupied,”he said.

The formality of the education system may have not been for him, but it did not discourage him from getting an education. He studied Project Management, Accounting, Photography, Sound Engineering and “a few other short diplomas” to give himself the grounding he needed to step into the world of radio.

Radio greats like Dave Guselli, Gareth Cliff, DJ Fresh and Roger Goode ignited his passion. “I remember sitting at home on a Saturday night when I was too young to party, listening to the Saturday night surgery and feeling the power and excitement radio can bring to people. After my studies I focused on radio because I knew radio reached and influenced so many more people than other media. DYR is a really good platform as it has given birth to so many radio icons including, Makhosi Khoza, Deo Govender, DJ Tira to name a few. We recently took a decision to take on a different route and focus on a cosmopolitan market and are shaking things up in line with ICASA’s licencing requirements,”he said.

So while the station previously only focused on the music, there are new DJs and presenters on air with more formalised programming. “We are still staying true to DYR and the music, so our rule is you may not talk longer than the duration of a song.” We are trying to be more listener orientated, and delve into issues affecting youth, community projects and we like to give back,” he said. Kerr said listeners can expect some fundamental changes soon as they find their feet and continue moving in the right direction.”

Finding dedicated and trustworthy presenters has definitely been the highlight of his radio journey and he is excited by the growing numbers of fans and followers of DYR that he discovers wherever he goes.

“The challenge in this industry is always funding. If you are keen to get into the radio industry, Kerr suggests spending time researching, “You can even google radio presenting while you are at home, but you must develop your voice, style and practice in front of people, many get stage fright when they see the mic.

Radio is a passion driven industry and you have to know you might be underpaid for a long time before making it big! You have to hustle and work really hard,” the 26-year-old said, adding he still worked on TV, MC presenting and photography to supplement his income so that he can continue with his passion-driven radio work.