Renowned SABC radio presenter dies

The South African Broadcasting Corporation has on Friday confirmed on social media that former SAfm radio presenter Rowena Baird has died.

SAfmnews tweeted that the former presenter’s sister, Michelle Baird, confirmed that the former Morning Talk presenter died on Friday morning.

Details of how she died have not emerged. In 2016, she was diagnosed with colon cancer and became an unofficial ambassador as she shared her journey through the airwaves and social media.

According to a biography on the SAfm website, Baird started her broadcasting career in the mid-1980s.

She then worked for various SABC radio stations including Radio 2000, Channel Africa and Metro FM before joining SAfm.

“She’s read the news, presented magazine programs, presented current affairs programs, hosted music programs, presented features and inserts and, of course, talk shows.  Rowena also has television experience presenting a series of voter education programs and was a co-presenter of The Breakfast Club on SABC Television in the late 1990s.

“Having been part of the media for most of her professional life, Rowena has had the privilege and the honour of interviewing a wide range of people, the scope of which spans from politicians, to musicians – local and international – actors, princes, princesses, poets, social commentators, entrepreneurs, fashion icons, businessmen and women, comedians, playwrights, sports heroes, iconic photographers, captains of the media and ordinary men and women of South Africa,” the biography read.

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