Ed Richardson

A year of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the founding of Algoa FM culminated in presenters riding the world’s longest over-the-ocean zipline in Mossel Bay. “We specifically chose Mossel Bay as the destination for our final roadshow because it anchors the Algoa Country broadcast footprint, which stretches trom the Garden Route to the Wild Coast, and inland through the Karoo,” says Algoa FM managing director Alfie Jay. During 2026, Algoa FM hosted six birthday celebration outside broadcasts roadshows, to showcase the station’s “on air, online, and on the ground” presence across Algoa Country. The events provided listeners and advertising partners the opportunity to meet senior management and presenters, and to experience the impact Algoa FM has in its broadcast footprint, “and we were blown away by the support from our listeners. People went out of their way to come and meet us at each of the activations,” says Jay. The venues were selected to illustrate the different aspects that go into the business of radio. Over the past 40 years Algoa FM has grown to become the biggest private media company in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route, with a strong presence on air, online through its website and social media, and on the ground through ongoing appearances by presenters throughout the region. The first stop during the year was Komani (formerly Queenstown), which is the gateway to the eastern edge of the Great Karoo, where the focus was on business. Algoa FM’s sales consultants were on hand to discuss ways of stimulating the local economy by growing the businesses in the area while enjoying a complimentary cup of coffee. The next stop was lifestyle-focused, at the annual Robert Sobukwe (Graaff Reinet) Stoep Tasting, of which Algoa FM is the media partner. Fun (at Algoa, fun is a serious business) was the theme for the two metros – Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City. Hosted at major shopping centres, the activations included …

In 1979, the Buggles version of “Video Killed the Radio Star” topped 16 international record sales charts and sold around five million copies worldwide. The song was later used to launch MTV in 1981 and despite the lyrical sentiment, MTV ceased all of its broadcast activity on 31 December 2025. Radio however, continues to thrive and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has as much a chance of killing it as video or television, says Algoa FM managing director Alfie Jay. “AI is as much a threat to Radio as the Walkman, the 5 CD carousel, WinAmp, and more recently, the smartphone, which offers people access to recorded or downloaded music, streaming services, and podcasts. “AI is just another tool in radio’s box,” says Jay, who has intimately been involved in the evolution of radio from its analogue era to the continued convergence of digital technology on the medium over close-on four decades. “Radio has literally outlived all major technological advances since the medium’s first-ever broadcast on Christmas Eve, 1906. “We (Radio), are in the process of outliving traditional newspapers and magazine print, and have continued to thrive through the television era. “As radio broadcasters, we seem to have a knack for finding interesting ways to use and incorporate new technology into what we do to the advantage of the medium itself, our listeners, and our advertisers. “People who write about the demise of radio due to new technology are confusing tech with relationships. “We use the strengths and benefits of new technology to build on the unique relationship radio has with its audience. “Radio builds relationships. Technology facilitates that, be it on air, online, or on the ground, as is the case with Algoa FM.” He uses the example of the mobile phone, which in many cases can serve as a transistor radio by tuning in to the owner’s favourite radio station, wherever they are in the world. “But we also adopted as well as adapted the technology that drives …