Air Raves Malaysia

Air Raves final run in The Star on Dec 31, 2008

2009-01-01T19:09:00.001+08:00

Wednesday December 31, 2008

New year wishes on air

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

It's a wrap folks; and unfortunately for good this time. Along with the conclusion of another year, comes the end of the road for this column.

Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers, radio listeners and stations – both local and abroad – and of course, The Star for making Air Raves the success that it has been over the years.

Here are my personal wishes for radio in 2009 and beyond.

Programme content: Let’s have more intelligent shows. The sky’s the limit in this area. Reviews on books, movies, videos, food, fashion, gardening and a host of other fun stuff will pique listeners’ interests.

Can we see the return of a radio doctor segment together with heaps of health tips and info for everyone?

How about creating new shows for children, women, the elderly and the disabled? Be sure to allow them to run their own shows to keep them authentic and meaningful.

Let’s have programmes on all our states in Malaysia focusing on our diverse traditions and religious backgrounds. Avoid “lecturing” us about them; but instead keep the presentations lively, crisp and vibrant.

Music wise, let’s focus on all genres of music instead of only pop. Most radio stations seem to be only doing the latter and it’s becoming tiresome. Remember it takes all kinds of people and tastes to be listeners.

Deejays: Get real and remain down-to-earth. Think twice before you wish “Good morning/evening Malaysia”. In most cases, the whole country isn’t listening to you and probably doesn’t even know the name of your radio station. Always remember that you need to work hard to make an impression.

Don’t fill each hour up with aimless chatter or music – make each minute and second count. Scripted presentations – or pre-planned ideas of what you want to focus on in your show – are far better in the long run than trying to ad lib. (Bosses, be sure to affirm your DJs for a job well done instead of only reprimanding them when they have erred!)

News: News broadcasts remain the hottest sought item on any radio station especially when a crisis occurs. Radio stations should be prepared to be flexible at all times to adjust schedules for input of late news updates as they happen.

Listeners will always remember a station for being the first – and not the last – to inform them of a newsbreaking story.

The recent Bukit Antarabangsa landslide is a solemn case in point. With electricity cut off, those in affected areas could only rely on their car stereos and portable radios for the latest information instead of television or the mobile phone.

It is for this reason why many if not all developed countries of the world constantly remind its citizens to have a portable radio set with fresh batteries handy at all times.

Happy listening and Happy New Year everybody!

Ads by Google

LiteFM goodwill

2008-12-24T20:29:00.000+08:00

Wednesday December 24, 2008

Lite FM spreads seasonal goodwill

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Lite FM spreads goodwill this Christmas season.

Say the word Christmas, and most of us would at once think of Xmas trees, parties and gifts aplenty. Not Lite FM.

The FM broadcaster, which is operated by Airtime Management and Programming networks, is set on making Xmas truly meaningful for its listeners this year.

For the second year in a row, the station is giving its listeners the opportunity to participate in its “Gift of Love” project to help fulfil the Christmas wishes of underprivileged children.

Until the end of the month, Lite FM is compiling a list of over 50 children’s wishes from Rumah KIDS. The organisation is a shelter located in Klang and Subang in Selangor to help special kids who were either orphaned, abandoned or abused.

You can find the names of each of these special children hung on a virtual Xmas tree on the radio station’s website: www.litefm.com.my.

Listeners can decide to either grant one of these kids wishes immediately or pledge to do so later.

Once done, they can personally bring their presents for the children to a Christmas party that will be held at Impiana Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 3. There will also be plenty of food, games, gifts, clowns and of course, Santa Claus, to entertain everyone.

Lite FM hopes that its timely effort in helping to spread a little goodwill and cheer will make each child and the participating listeners experience a memorable event.

A frequent question I get from readers is how to tune in to foreign radio stations. And one of the best sources to turn to is the yearly world’s No.1 selling radio guide called Passport to World Band Radio.

The New York Times describes it aptly as the TV Guide for world band radios.

It tells you about the latest available shortwave radios and offers readers a meticulous review on each set.

It provides you with precious details about international radio stations and when is the best time to tune in to them. There are also plenty of useful tips that would amaze even the most advanced listeners.

However, what I like most about it is its use of simple English to explain some of the complicated stuff. Its bold candour is also refreshing. If a radio set or station is not up to the mark, it will tell you so. And be prepared that it just might be your favourite broadcaster that is getting the brickbat.

The 25th edition of Passport 2009 with 528 pages is now available. For more information browse: www.passband.com

Capital Countdown Chart Toppers

2008-12-07T19:11:00.000+08:00

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Chart toppers on Capital Countdown

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Capital Countdown entertains you with the latest hits.

Have you been jamming to the latest beats of Capital FM’s new programme called Capital Countdown lately?

The radio station’s music chart show which made its debut recently can be heard on Sundays from 2pm to 6pm.

For four hours every week, Capital FM listeners can look forward to the radio station’s weekly Top 40 chart showcase.

Unlike other chart toppers segments which are usually pre-recorded, Capital Countdown is presented live from the studio.

Another unique feature is that the methodology used to rate each song is based on the song’s performance worldwide.

Speaking to Air Raves recently, host and deejay Hazim Ismail explains: “We analyse official song charts from countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.

“Using both qualitative and quantitative techniques, we rate each and every song based on its worldwide popularity.

“We believe that this system gives a more accurate representation on the position of a particular track on the current charts.”

According to Hazim, the programme also allows listeners to vote for their favourite songs. It involves anything from five to 10 potential songs that the broadcaster previews each week.

“The potential songs will either be the latest or uncharted tunes and the voting can be done via Capital’s website at www.capitalfm.com.my.

“Since the chart takes into consideration the listings on the Top 40 Charts from all over the world, don’t be surprised to find international hits in the playlist,” adds Hazim.

Rumour has it that Traxx FM is planning to cut down the length of its news bulletin to only one minute an hour. If true, this would be a serious mistake as a great number of listeners tune in for a daily update of news developments.

Lastly, good news for those of you who complained that radio stations are not playing much Christmas music.

FM stations like MIX fm and Hitz.fm have recently started playing Yuletide songs that include Winter Wonderland by Jesse McCartney, Santa Baby (Pussycat Dolls) and Christmas Morning (One Buck Short).

Gegar No 1

2008-12-05T00:24:00.000+08:00

Thursday December 4, 2008

THR Gegar is number one on the East Coast

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

THR Gegar is currently the East Coast’s No.1 radio station, according to the latest Nielsen Media Radio Audience Measurement survey.

THR Gegar, whose transmissions are beamed from the All-Asia Broadcast Centre in Technology Park Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, is apparently being heard and closely followed by as many as 1.24 million listeners on a regular basis in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

THR Gegar is aired in Bahasa Malaysia for 24 hours in those states but its transmission in other parts of the country is only from 8pm to 6am.

The radio station shares the same frequencies as THR Raaga and comes on at the conclusion of the Tamil station’s broadcast. While the Tamil THR broadcaster targets listeners in the 18-39-year-old urban category, THR Gegar focuses on the 25-44 age group.

The station’s popularity in the East Coast states had recently resulted in its listeners eagerly signing up to become members of the newly-formed Kelab Pendengar THR Gegar.

According to a spokeswoman, listeners are attracted to the station’s current offerings which include music from the 1970s to the present day, hot chart show Carta Hits Gegar and a request programme called Pilihan Pantai Timur. For more details, visit www.thr.fm.

Elsewhere, the topic of domestic violence, particularly involving women and girls, marked a special report on Radio24 recently.

November 25 was the UN-sponsored International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Bernama’s broadcast journalist Tan Su Lin spelt out the definition of violence as including “physical, sexual and mental” abuse. Other forms of abuse also include discrimination at the workplace, when women and girls don’t enjoy the same privileges as men and boys, she added. Tan interviewed Women’s Aid Organisation’s executive director Ivy Josiah for the programme.

The highlighting of special United Nations-sponsored days and the inclusion of interviews of representatives of local NGOs is certainly a laudable effort by radio stations.

Welcoming the Year of the Ox

2008-11-20T00:40:00.001+08:00

Wednesday November 19, 2008

Ushering in the Year of the Golden Ox

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

It won’t be a couple of months yet before the Year of the Golden Ox comes trotting in.

However, that’s not stopping 988, the radio station operated by The Star, from running an on-air special this week on the Lunar New Year.

Starting today, listeners will be treated to a series of special interviews with some talented personalities who came up with a brand new album recently.

Entitled 988 Chinese New Year Album 2009, the album features various talents from the broadcaster’s in-house deejays and local artistes such as Desiree, boy-band JNK (Jack, Nic and Kean) and local heartthrob Danny One.

The CD is their first effort and it will be launched tomorrow. As part of the promotion, 988’s Halo Morning crew will make a special appearance on the station’s Noon Fresher show at 12.30pm today.

Listeners will get to know how the album was produced and offered a sneak peek into tomorrow’s launch.

Expect more 988 deejays to turn up on DJ May’s show Laughter Noon at noon tomorrow to talk about the CD.

On to XFM and its X-Gig tour. After having a blast at various locations in the Klang Valley recently, X-Gig is now heading north to Ipoh. Residents there will be treated to a four-hour concert featuring five indie bands – Bunkface, Bittersweet, Pesawat, Muck and Harmacy.

They are all part of XFM’s 7th edition X-Gig that will be held at Rum Jungle, Tambun, on Saturday. Showtime is at 2pm.

The next X-Gig will be staged in Johor Baru and Penang next month. To be selected, local bands will have to submit their details online via the station’s website: www.xfresh.com.

World Diabetes Day was observed last Friday. I was not aware of such a day until I heard a report about it on Nov 14 on Bernama-run broadcaster Radio 24.

The station’s reporter Tan Su Lin centred her news story on how the chronic condition was increasingly affecting young people and children of today.

The good news in her interview with a local expert on diabetes revealed that diabetes was still very much a preventable condition.

The same issue was also a hot topic on BBC World Service from London on the shortwave frequencies.

“An estimated three million people die from the disease every year, and over a quarter of a billion people are affected,” was the stark message on the international broadcaster.

“Events are being held all over the planet to draw attention to the threat of what is being described as an epidemic that is out of control,

“Diabetes kills more people than AIDS and the prognosis for the condition is grim.” added the BBC.

New programme on Capital FM

2008-11-13T02:13:00.001+08:00

Wednesday November 12, 2008

Capital FM launches new programme

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Radio station Capital FM is all out to promote local works and aspiring talents. The network, that is only available to listeners in the Klang Valley (FM88.9MHz), has come up with a new programme called Capital Unearthed.

Whether it is music, the arts, food, Capital Unearthed will probably be the first to showcase them.

“For the time being, music will be the show’s entry point before other specialisation and contents are included to enrich it,” pointed out Capital’s head of corporate communications Haliza Ahmad.

According to her, the show will highlight unsigned, underground and unknown talents. The contents which are web-based will mark a new indie offering for listeners.

The show will make its debut this Sunday. The weekly feature that airs from 6pm to 8pm will be anchored by the station’s indie deejay OJ.

“We are inviting all unsigned artistes to share their music with us,” said Haniza.

The station is devoting a page on its website www.capitalfm.com.my for aspiring independent artistes’ works.

All they need to do is submit a couple of their tracks to the station. These will be reviewed by a special panel.

Each entrant will stand a chance to have his or her music broadcast over radio. Entrants will also have an opportunity to perform in a concert organised by Capital FM. So, if you are interested in getting some serious radio airplay, booking more gigs or have a shot at signing up with a major label, the station provides the platform.

On the American presidential election, I was on the road last Wednesday when the United States voted to put a black president in the White House.

I was thrilled to find Radio 24 covering the event. However, my joy was short-lived especially during the crucial conceding and acceptance speeches of the presidential candidates.

There was a clear lack of continuity of Radio 24’s reports. The female anchor also momentarily forgot which part of America she was talking about and kept annoyingly pronouncing the “s” in Illinois.

Worse still, instead of focusing on Obama, the broadcaster played a Madonna track!

Sinar makes a difference

2008-10-29T19:45:00.001+08:00

Wednesday October 29, 2008

Sinar FM is making a difference

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

It has often been said that when it comes to radio programming, Malaysians today are spoilt for choice. However, when it comes to doing something different and meaningful – few really stand out.

This week, Sinar FM takes that bold step forward.

Together with Badminton Association Malaysia (BAM), the Bahasa Malaysia broadcaster which is operated by Airtime Management and Programming Networks, will hold a grand charity badminton match next week.

The special sports event will witness our very own world No.1 badminton star Datuk Lee Chong Wei battle it out with Sinar’s breakfast show crew – Krill, Raja Azura and Salih Yaccob.

And guess what? They’ll also be facing BAM coach Datuk Misbun Sidek and his team of star players including the other Sidek brothers (Rashid and Jalani), Roslin Hashim and Hafiz Hashim.

All this is for a very good cause, of course. It is to raise funds for Datin Latifah Mohd Sidek, wife of Datuk Misbun, who is sadly at a critical stage of kidney failure.

The game takes place at 8pm on Nov 7 at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur.

Extra activities will include the auctioning of these badminton legends’ memorabilia (racquets, shirts, etc.) and bidding for matches with the athletes.

This event is also open to the public with an entrance fee of RM5 per person. All proceeds collected will be audited and directed to Hospital Tawakal in KL which is handling the medical treatment for Latifah.

Tune in to Sinar to find out more. Sinar Pagi can be heard on weekdays from 6am until 10am. Alternatively, you may also log on to the radio station via the Internet (www.sinar.fm).

Festive joy

Deepavali was celebrated with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm. It’s great that radio allows one to hone in on what’s going on across the seas. For instance, in India, according to the All India Radio (AIR) from New Delhi, Hindus started the day with early morning baths, then thronged temples, offering poojas and exchanging greetings. AIR also reported that the celebrations took place amidst elaborate security arrangements by Delhi police, with extra CCTVs installed in markets, airports, railway stations and bus stands.

Meanwhile, back home, things were not as tense. And over the radio, it was more of the same old, although a few of our local deejays did a great job to complement the festivities of Deepavali. Deejays Fad da Dillio and Priscilla the Killa from Radio Televisyen Malaysia’s TraxxFM were my favourites.

From listener feedback, however, THR.fm seemed to be the top choice.

Diwali shopping

2008-10-22T23:28:00.001+08:00

Wednesday October 22, 2008

Deepavali shopping spree

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Five more days before the Festival of Lights celebrations next Monday - and the excitement is hotting up over the airwaves.

Listeners of THR Raaga stand a chance at going on a delightful Deepavali shopping spree. When cued, listeners need to call in and answer a list of Deepavali-related questions and 10 callers will be chosen before Saturday for a shopping spree at Chennai Silk Palace, Klang.

In addition to the RM100 given to each of them that day, THR Raaga announcers will also be on hand to help them make their selections.

And that’s not all. As many as 100 orphans will also be there to pick out their own outfits. The shopping excursion will culminate with a scrumptious meal for all.

On a different note, All India Radio (AIR) from New Delhi on shortwave has expressed its concern that this year’s Deepavali festivities will be dampened in India in light of the global economic slowdown. For updates on how the South Asian nation will be celebrating the Festival of Lights, tune in to the broadcaster.

AIR can be heard daily in Malaysia in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Thai and Indonesian at the following times and frequencies:

Times: 6.45am - 8.45am; 4.45pm - 5.45pm; 7.15pm - 8.45pm & 9.30pm - 11pm.

Frequencies: 9.690, 9.705 & 9.910kHz, 31m; 11.620 & 11.740kHz, 25m; 13.605, 13.645, 13.695, 13.710 & 13.795kHz, 22m; 15.410 & 15.770kHz and 17.510, 17.740, 17.810 & 17.875kHz, 16 metres.

Have you been listening to the Capital Breakfast show by Capital FM lately?

The show, with DJs Richard Ng and Caroline Oh, is aired on weekdays from 6am until 10am.

What’s good about it is that the DJs feed listeners news items and gossip from the local and foreign media.

The deejays also provide updates on the latest from lifestyle to fashion and more. One unique treat is listeners get invited to the studio to interact with the deejays. Often, the chats are so funny that listeners are left in stitches.

However, there’s something about the show that doesn’t exude the same kind of zest other Capital FM shows have. Capital Breakfast lacks the right kind of oomph that’s needed to kickstart the day. Although there is plenty of laughter during the show, it isn’t enough to make one want to stay tuned.

Perhaps it’s because there is just too much mention of “I”, “my sister”, “my mum” and “my son” in the mornings. How about a different approach, guys?

Treat for football fans on Capital FM

2008-10-16T00:30:00.000+08:00

Wednesday October 15, 2008

Capital FM treat for footie fans

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Football fans in the Klang Valley are having a terrific time on the weekends, thanks to Capital FM.

Listeners with a penchant for the beautiful game will find their Saturdays less boring these days. The reason behind that is a two-hour show called Football Now! (FN!), starting 6pm, which Capital FM claims is the nation’s only radio programme dedicated to football.

However, the personalities who anchor the programme certainly sound impressive. They are Fly Guy (real name Saufian Mokhtar), Jeevan Selvanathan, Ross Yusof and David Swinburne.

I listened to the show over the last weekend and liked what I heard. The presentation together with popular songs made the show sound different from previous football offerings aired by other broadcasters. Over two hours, topics might be anchored heavily on the English Premier League, but news and views about international matches, the other European leagues and beyond also get a mention.

The programme segments include features on players and team spotlights, callers’ viewpoints, contests and, of course, top song hits.

There is one important thing that the boys on FN! ought to be careful about though: soccer jargon! These terms might unwittingly turn off non-football fans who may decide to tune out of the show altogether. A few simple explanations along the way should solve the problem.

And how about adding a female personality to the show? If not as a regular host, as a special guest?

This would not only debunk stereotypes that women and football don’t mix but a female voice will also help to liven things up on the show. Nevertheless, Capital FM promises that FN! will be a “pulsating 120 minutes” each week.

Capital FM can be heard in the Klang Valley on FM88.9MHz.

Mail

Here is an e-mail by Ruwaidy Mat Rasul from Muar, Johor, on our recent Raya programming on radio:

“I agree fully with you that there was a good mix of old and new songs for Raya. The conversations between the listeners and the deejays were also very touching. However, regretfully not everyone was like that all the time. One or two deejays mumbled to listeners and were sometimes not serious with them.

“Don’t these jocks realise that we listeners can pick such things up instantly?

“The best moment for me was a recorded interview with a prisoner who was jailed for 35 years for a drugs violation. His painful ordeal was the perfect eye-opener for anyone thinking about messing with drugs: stay away!”

Raya cheer on radio

2008-10-09T01:04:00.001+08:00

Wednesday October 8, 2008

Spreading the Raya cheer on radio

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

One of the best ways to get into the festive feel during the holidays is to listen to the radio. That was exactly what I did last week. I wanted to gauge what the mood was like among for Hari Raya. I’m delighted to report that my exercise was not in vain. Our local FM broadcasters did not disappoint. Here’s what I heard:

There were copious amounts of Raya songs. Almost all of our radio stations were playing them. Needless to say, the Bahasa Malaysia broadcasters were noticeably the best.

Sinar FM appeared to be intoxicated with sentimental tunes while KLFM gave a rock feel to its festive numbers. English broadcaster TraxxFM went back in time to feature the legendary P. Ramlee’s Dendang Berantau, which effectively took us all down memory lane.

Over at The Star’s Redfm broadcast, the station chose to stick to contemporary numbers (mostly in English). It was Suria FM that stole the limelight. Suria excelled with its festive flair ... quite a few were also traditional in nature. That made it my winning choice.

Having a favourite deejay wish fans over the air is a dream come true for many listeners. This, perhaps, was the best Raya gift of all for a few lucky ones.

This year, I was pleasantly fortunate to be able to create some of that magic myself with help from Sinar FM.

Thanks to a special arrangement I made with the publicist for Airtime Management and Programming network which runs the radio station, such a dream came true for a young listener I got to know only recently.

The 26-year old driver received a most unexpected phone call from his favourite deejay Salih Yaccob on the latter’s mobile phone, wishing him Selamat Hari Raya. My new friend was speechless for days!

It’s amazing how the simplest things that we do for others can sometimes be the most rewarding of them all.

Festive mood for Raya

2008-10-01T19:15:00.000+08:00

Wednesday October 1, 2008

Getting into the festive mood

AIR RAVES WITH ANTHONY THANASAYAN

HARI RAYA open houses, lots of opportunities to meet up and mingle with your favourite radio deejays on the ground - plus a virtual explosion of Aidilfitri songs (both new and old) on the airwaves!

These are just some of the many specials lined up for us all on radio this week.

Here is what listeners can expect during this festive occasion from at least two popular Bahasa Malaysia broadcasters from Airtime Management and Programming network:

Sinar fm

Talk about getting into the festivities! The broadcaster has apparently done exactly that ... to the extent of changing its tagline.

Starting from today and until the end of this Aidilfitri month, Sinar’s new image is Muzik Raya Terbaik instead of its old one which previously was Muzik Retro Terbaik. What this effectively means is Sinar will be alternating Raya songs with its regular diet of music for listeners.

“Expect some truly original and ultimate Retro Raya offerings that are bound to jog everyone’s memories this Raya,” promises AMP publicist Hani Azlan.

Some of the nostalgic tracks Hani is talking about are Indahnya Lebaran by Effa Rizan and Dendang Perantau by A. Razak.

The list is endless. And tracks include original gems that will probably not be heard on other stations.

Meanwhile, here is a quick duty listing of Sinar’s announcers on the first day of Raya: Nila (6am- noon), Najman (12pm-6pm) and Zaidi (6pm€“midnight).

These on-air jocks and gals promise to keep listeners in good company through their radio sets.

Nila, for instance, says that most people detest the idea of having to work on a festive day. But she is really looking forward to it. More so when it’s Hari Raya.

This is one of the touching moments, Nila says, when she as an announcer is able to experience the special moment when listeners call in to ask for forgiveness from some of their loved ones for wrongs committed.

ERA fm

On ERA, it is more festive music on the cards as the entire ERA team comprising announcers, crew members and even the management, get an unusual chance to have their favourite Raya selections played on the air.

So be sure to look out for a special selection of some 20 songs that will be aired during the festivities.

Listeners also have a chance to join their favourite announcers in an ERA Open House planned for Oct 12 at Setia Alam, Selangor. All you have to do is to call in to the station and tell them which announcer you would like to meet and what you are bringing for him or her. Tune in for the full details.

Here is the duty schedule of the ERA deejays:

First day of Raya: Nana (6am -10am); Raya Special Programme (10am - noon); Aimee (12pm-6pm) & Ray (6pm -midnight).

Second day of Raya: Adifashla (6am - noon); Kieran (12pm - 6pm) and Noor (6pm - midnight).

Listeners in for a treat

2008-09-17T18:08:00.000+08:00

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Treat for listeners

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

HERE’S a treat for listeners of 988. In case you don’t already know, the Chinese language broadcaster operated by The Star has been rebroadcasting its highly popular Idol Drama series. Broadcast on Saturdays (7pm-10pm) until mid-October.

Each programme features the voices of local and foreign artistes, among them, Hong Kong’s pop queen Joey Yung, Dylan Kuo (Taiwan), Shi Xin Hui (Singapore) and Gary Cao (Malaysia),

The station’s deejays May and Mike also take part in the drama.

Also tune in to:

U-Turn in Love (Sept 20), Lovebirds featuring Fiona Sit (Sept 27),

Confession of Superman featuring Genie Zhuo (Oct 4) and I Still Remember... Promise with Fish Leong and Ah Niu (Oct 11).

During the holy month of fasting, Sinar FM offers its listeners an opportunity to show their love for the less fortunate.

Together with Nestum, the station is inviting its listeners to bake and share their Nestum recipes. The best cookies will be bought by the broadcaster and donated to a local orphanage of the winner’s choice.

The contest ends on Friday. Visit www.sinar.fm for details.

Other Ramadan specials on IKIM fm:

Fadhilat Ramadan (The Virtues of Ramadan) (daily, 7.15am and 7.30pm in Bahasa Malaysia/ 2.15pm and 11pm in English): Catch daily Ramadan tips.

The Blessings of Ramadan – Month of Mercy (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 4.30pm): Find out why Ramadan brings extra blessings for the faithful and why the month is also known as The Month of Mercy.

Merdeka Mania

2008-09-03T13:10:00.001+08:00

Wednesday September 3, 2008

Merdeka mania

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

I was at home on Merdeka’s Eve last Saturday. Not because I had nowhere to go or nothing to do. I chose to be home because I was eager to find out what the mood would be like over the airwaves as our nation prepared to usher in its 51st birthday at midnight.

Fortunately, I was not disappointed. The Merdeka mood was loud and clear over our local airwaves.

Most of the English and Bahasa Malaysia radio stations played patriotic songs.

The selections helped to put listeners in the National Day spirit. The Hari Kebangsaan songs were also a welcome change from the usual tracks.

In addition, some stations provided two radio deejays instead of only one announcer in their time slots. Naturally, the ones with two deejays sounded more festive.

Not to be outdone, some single jocks seemed to fight back. They opened up their studios’ telephone lines and invited listeners to share what they were doing and where they were for the holidays.

Some callers said they were looking forward to watching the fireworks whilst others spoke about watching football matches. Others were looking to join in the local events in town. The listeners themselves did not sound nervous when they spoke on the air. One could tell clearly that people all over the nation were truly having a great time.

Here are three of our radio stations which I thought deserved special mention for doing something extra for Merdeka. They are listed in order of preference:

Radio24 by the Bernama News Agency: The station took listeners back to the first Merdeka. It offered some in-depth perspectives of Malaysia from where she was to how she is today. The station simultaneously carried a “live” discussion show from Bernama TV. This was a good move as listeners who were not by their TV sets were able to follow it over the radio. The “live” crossover conducted at midnight, however, was badly marred by poor sound quality.
KLFM by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM): The male and female deejays were relaxed in their presentations – a nice touch to the occasion. Or was it perhaps because the FM broadcaster managed to mainly catch exactly what I was feeling at that particular moment?

TraxxFM by RTM: There were good crossovers but at midnight, the female announcer on the scene sounded dry and dull even though she was covering what she herself described as a truly “momentous” occasion.

Not Up To Mark On Olympics

2008-08-27T23:15:00.000+08:00

Wednesday August 27, 2008

Poor coverage

Air Raves:By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Majority of the radio stations were not up to the mark in their coverage of the Olympics.

THE 29th Olympics Games in China is finally over. Now we can all go back to our lives to what it was before the games of all games started in Beijing on Aug 8.

But before we actually get to doing that, allow me a few lines to let off some steam.

I must express how disappointed I was – and probably many of you too – with most of our radio stations for not making the Olympics truly a heartfelt occasion for listeners.

To put it in a nutshell, I felt that all our radio stations could – and should have - centred their programming from Aug 8 onwards around the Olympics.

There was so much that they could have done other than just dishing out results.

They could have had interviews with our sportsmen, celebrities and politicians on what they thought about Beijing 2008 and general knowledge quizzes with prizes on the event.

To my knowledge, there appeared to be only two broadcasters that stood out delivering updates on the Olympics.

The first was news broadcaster Radio24 with live coverage of some of the events.

The second was 988, the Chinese language broadcaster operated by The Star.

Sports lovers were treated to an evening special called 988 Global Sports Club. For one hour on Saturdays, listeners got to hear a mix of Olympics and local sports news. This was aired in between some of the latest Chinese pop songs featured in the top music charts of several Asian nations.

Other features included weekend shows Weekly News (weekly round-up of the Games) and Weekly Sports Star, which delves further into the Olympic Games.

Listeners got to hear interviews with some of the athletes and their families, friends and even the coaches and fans to find out what it takes to make an Olympic star.

In yet another programme special called 988 Olympic Strategy, the 988 DJs invited several relevant personalities to talk about our athletes taking part in Beijing.

The guests included representatives from Beijing’s radio station as well as sport critics to present their analysis on a particular activity. Well done, 988! Elsewhere, Red FM, also operated by The Star, had an interesting guest in their studio last Friday. He was feng shui consultant Philip Lim.

The one-hour morning session from 7.30am was filled with interesting facts about what listeners could do to spice up their romance in their bedrooms.

Never have an untidy bedroom if you want romance to blossom, clean it up once a year and never put up pictures of others, were among the scores of treasured advice that Lim disclosed to a very amused Shaz and Will in their Red Breakfast show (weekdays, 6am - 10am on Red FM.

Happy 10

2008-08-07T21:41:00.000+08:00

Wednesday July 30, 2008

Happy 10

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Join in the fun at Jelajah ERA as the station celebrates its birthday.

ERA FM turns 10 on Friday and the Bahasa Malaysia broadcaster from Airtime Management and Programming Sdn Bhd (AMP) is enjoying its No.1 status in listeners’ hearts.

To mark the occasion, ERA is touring 10 locations within the peninsula. Called Jelajah ERA, the tour kicked off on July 18.

The station has since made stops at Batu Pahat, in Johor, Port Dickson (Negri Sembilan), Seberang Perai (Penang) and Taiping, (Perak).

On Friday, the birthday tour will make its stop at Giant Hyper-market Sunway City in Ipoh.

Residents in Ipoh will be treated to a two-hour concert featuring rock band Kristal, Mila and Faizal Tahir.

Faizal Tahir will perform at a concert in Ipoh on Friday.

As ERA announcers continue to invite listeners to the various locations, listeners at home have been getting their daily dose of audio clips of the station’s previously aired concerts.

Meanwhile, be sure to catch MIX FM’s Lie Detector Test, which ends next Friday.

Regular announcers Serena C and Pietro on the MIX Breakfast Show (6am–10am) help you find out if your husband loves you or the idiot box more, among other things.

The polygraph machine is operated by Dr Akhbar Satar, a certified expert in the field. You can even win RM1,000 so tune in and find out how to go about it. Or, browse www.mix.fm for details.

Check out Love Classified that airs on weekdays (8pm-10pm) on Red FM, which is operated by The Star.

The programme treats listeners to splendid classic love songs from the 1980s to the present day.

Show presenter Nisha is re-freshing and makes great company for anyone who needs help in winding down in the evenings. It is hard not to fall in love with her mellifluous voice and the warmth she exudes in her show.

There are also interesting topics like “nightmare” and “monster” dates. Listeners share how they escaped from their blind dates through the back door or had dumped their dates at once when they realised it was a horrible mismatch.

Those who dare to share their stories with Nisha stand to win a singles’ pass for the Love Classified Singles Event, a dinner that takes place at Subang Sheraton’s Emperor Restaurant in Selangor, this Saturday.

Hallo Good Morning on 988

2008-07-24T02:42:00.000+08:00

Wednesday July 23, 2008

Fun show

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Start your day with Hallo Good Morning.

Need a really good reason to wake up in the morning? Let the joyful sounds of DJs Sam, Jeff, Anson and Moon kickstart your day.

They come on weekdays on 988’s Hallo Good Morning (HGM).

HGM can be heard from 6am until 10am on the Chinese language channel that is operated by The Star.

The cheerful and energetic antics of the DJs make the difficult job of getting up in the mornings much easier and fun.

They not only have lots of interesting stories to share , but are also absorbing when it comes to interacting with listeners.

The boys crack jokes that keep you in stitches and their discussions are equally witty. There is no lagging behind on the latest news and the hottest gossip in town when one is tuned in to the programme.

You will also be in the know of the opinions and issues faced by the local community.

HGM is generally divided into four one-hour segments.

1. Early Morning War (6am): The battle is on as the DJs pick a daily hot topic that concerns both the sexes. Listeners can join in the discussion by calling 03-4042 0988 during the session.

2. North South East West (7am): Focuses on language and phrases. This informative hour sees the DJs highlighting words or phrases for the day and uncovering their origins.

3. PiliPala What You Say (8am): The boys turn their attention – and charm – to be our guides in the use of language. Recently, they taught listeners how to use the correct dialect in various situations.

Currently, their spotlight is on the English usage. 988 listeners had a delightful surprise recently when local artistes John and Desiree and Hong Kong’s Jason Chan played English language guides on the show.

4. I Am Not Master (9am): Spotlights on how to handle people around us through effective communication, especially at the workplace.

Meanwhile, for those of you into the habit of burning the midnight oil, The Late Show with Jeremy is the show for you. It is aired on Red FM, that is also operated by The Star.

The programme airs from Monday till Friday (10pm - 2am).

Jeremy is the latest addition to the channel’s stable of DJs. He’s a fast talker, but almost always concise in his presentation. So, listeners will not be bored by him.

Occasionally, he speaks a little too loud over the microphone, causing his voice to come across distorted.

The DJ should check himself on that. He presents a lot of western entertainment news.

It would be good, though, for him to balance it up with some local happenings for local appeal.

The interesting bit is that listeners get to call in and talk to the DJ during the show.

New And Improved

2008-07-16T19:02:00.000+08:00

The newly-revamped TRAXXfm has more to offer listeners.

HAVE you been listening to the new TRAXXfm? The English radio station, which was first known as the Blue Network, and later Radio 4, has a spanking new sound since its recent re-launch.

Blurbs from the national broadcaster RTM claims that it is the freshest sound in the nation.

Over the next few months, TRAXXfm hopes to bring to the airwaves a “bright, brilliant and thrilling” new presentation and sound display.

The revamped radio station aims to become the listeners’ choice as a one-stop travel and holiday guide to interesting places to visit in Malaysia. It promises to deliver it in a fun, informative and entertaining style for everyone. Apart from its interactive banter and contests, the station aims to equip listeners with a better knowledge of the country.

DJ Patrick from TRAXXfm.

What I liked about TRAXXfm’s new programming is the rotating of its DJs.

Previously, the DJs would work the shift from morning to afternoon and it would be rather boring to hear the same voices throughout the whole period. Not that any of the DJs were particularly poor or bad – a change now and then would have avoided the monotony.

The new setup also features a male and female host during the rush hour slot. This, too, adds a fresh feel to the programming, compared to the old format of having DJs of the same gender.

Another TRAXXfm feature that I like is the information on local events – this is not limited to those of urban hot spots but also includes cultural events throughout the country.

Having said that though, I think TRAXXfm would be prudent not to go overboard in its tourism quest.

The broadcaster is, after all, a radio station catering primarily to local audience. It is not an international radio station with overseas listeners.

Apart from tourism information, TRAXXfm also offers sports updates. The station says listeners will get first-hand information on major sporting events such as Formula One and the Monsoon Cup. There will also be updates on sports-related parades, speedboat challenges, motor sports, X Games and even the traditional wau competitions.

During religious celebrations, TRAXXfm will provide more information on the festivities and their significance.

As for music, listeners will be able to hear Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil tracks along with traditional and world music.

Great Way To Spend Your Day

2008-07-09T15:14:00.000+08:00

Wednesday July 9, 2008
Great way to spend your day

Tune in to Aly on 10-1 every weekday and enjoy good music, fashion updates and even tips on how to lead a healthy life.

AIR RAVES by ANTHONY THANASAYAN
entertainment@thestar.com.my

ARE your weekdays often dull and dreary – especially in the mornings? If so, then fret not. Whether you are at home and about to start your morning; or at the office waiting by your computer for a dose of inspiration, Red FM has the right radio show to help you get straight into action.

The name of the programme is 10-1. The numbers also indicate the time the show commences and concludes every weekday.

Your deejay on duty? Her name is Aly, short for Alison J. Victor. Frankly. she is not easy to dislike. I fell in love with her voice at once when I listened to her for the first time last week. It is strong and clear – the kind of voice that every radio deejay should possess. On top of all that she is also delightfully vivacious.

Aly is who you need if you are feeling down and out. Especially on Mondays! She knows what to say and how to say it to cheer you up. I also love the songs she plays, going back all the way to the 80s from Paula Abdul, Madonna and others.

Another plus point (which other deejays rarelyhave) is that she gives listeners the details of each track. Ally describes the genre, names the songwriters, and gives you other interesting trivia related to the music and musicians she plays on her show.

To make the midmornings more interesting, she also uncovers interesting or controversial stories behind each album or performer.

Here’s a quick rundown of the programme-content on 10-1:

# 10am: Aly helps you increase your productivity with plenty of useful and common sense tips. Chatting with your colleagues at the water cooler will no longer be the same! Your boss may even notice a big change in you!

# 11am: If you are into fashion, you will be updated on all the latest and exclusive styles and trends. Today in Fashion History is featured within the hour, along with Beauty Buzz. Both programmes keep listeners feeling and looking good about themselves.

# Noon: The final hour is billed Healthy Lifestyle. We all know that for our body to be and stay healthy, we need to pay lots of attention to our mental health. Aly also provides the simple dos and don’ts on maintaining a healthy diet.

For those in their vehicles, Aly unveils a list of useful and ingenious exercises that listeners can practise in their cars or evenwhile lying down at home!

For those interested in contests, Aly has a CD-of-the-week offering. To take part, first tune in to the show. Then send in the following SMS to Red FM: “redfull name IC number.” Send it to 32722.

Try out 10-1 and see what you think.

# Despite living in the cyber age, the writer insists that radio still provides a unique window on the world. When he isn’t scanning bandwidths, he helps to raise awareness of positive living with pets through his organisation, Petpositive (Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association).

Tasty New Show

2008-07-02T20:53:00.002+08:00

Wednesday July 2, 2008

Tasty new show

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

WHO among us dares to say that he or she does not love food? Now’s here’s a great radio show that delves into our favourite pastime.

“1-4 with Terry” is the name of this new show that is being served on Red FM on weekdays. And from feedback received by this column, the programme has been working up quite an appetite among midday listeners.

From 1.30pm until teatime, Red FM’s lunchtime DJ Terry takes listeners on a culinary cruise through a number of gastronomical delights. He not only unveils great places for us to dine out in the evenings, he also offers hints on what to wear and the kind of reception we are likely to get at these places. Then comes the tantalising details of the food spread in the various restaurants. The way this “on air connoisseur” talks about it, you can almost taste the dishes yourself!

Terry, who hails from Penang, recently spoke about the mouth-watering Penang laksa and chicken rice at Nipah, a restaurant at the Equatorial Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Listeners got to hear how the Chalet, also at the Equatorial Hotel, has waiters to whisks eggs in front of their guests as a live band plays music in the background.

Terry is bright and lively – even better than he has been as a deejay for Red FM! What I like about the show is that it is fast moving.

Terry doesn’t elaborate too much, instead he gets straight to the point. And he always has vouchers from various venues to give away throughout the week.

Meanwhile, Chinese broadcaster 988 is all set and ready to kick off its Global Chinese Musical Concert (GCMC) Live Musical Party on July 12. It will be held at 7.30pm at Auto City in Prai, Penang.

As one of our country’s top events for Chinese music lovers, GCMC will feature local and international stars such as Jason Chan (Hong Kong), Kenji Wu (Taiwan) and Kelly Poon (Singapore). DJs Sam and Nick will host the event.

“It is going to be a truly unforgettable event,” Gladys Yew from Star Rfm told Air Raves last week.

In a run-up to the event, listeners have until this Friday to win VIP entrance tickets, goodie bags and RM100 cash. Tune in to 988 Laughter Noon (2.30pm-5pm), K6 Gang (5pm-8pm) and 988 Star Light Café (8pm-11pm) to win the prizes.

Despite living in the cyber age, the writer insists that radio still provides a unique window on the world. When he isn't scanning bandwidths, he helps to raise awareness of positive living with pets through his organisation, Petpositive (Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association).

Note: This article was rated as No 1 under The Star's Top 5 list for the Most Viewed Category and No 4 under The Most Emailed story.

Noon Delight

2008-06-26T04:10:00.002+08:00

Wednesday June 25, 2008

Noon delight

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

AMANDA is the deejay you want if you are interested in winding down your afternoons with great music.

Whether upbeat tunes, funky rhythms or just jolly strains – Amanda Suriya Ariffin does not disappoint.

She signs in promptly on CAPITAL fm on weekdays. You can hear her from 3pm until 7pm, on a show called CAPITAL Drive.

I caught the former WOWfm and Flyfm deejay during a traffic jam on a particularly gloomy, wet and stormy Wednesday.

What impressed me at once about Amanda was her presentation. She seemed to know exactly what songs to play to brighten up one’s mood.

And I always love deejays who are able to transcend themselves beyond the studio’s glass bubble.

Amanda tried her best to do this by keeping in touch with what was going on in our lives as listeners at that moment.

Her selections from Janet Jackson, Madonna and Guns ‘n’ Roses were exactly what the doctor ordered to momentarily take my mind off my frustrations on the roads.

I also relished the fact that Amanda spoke little, and sometimes not at all, during the first part of her show.

Sometimes this is exactly what some of us want in order to be able to sit back and enjoy the music without interruption.

Others may not like long song stretches as much. For them, Amanda’s style may be boring.

If you prefer interviews, Amanda has those too. CAPITAL Drive interviews celebrities at the end of every week.

Amanda will interview Kavita Kaur, the beauty queen and Malaysian film producer this week. Showtime is on Friday at 5.30pm.

CAPITAL fm is operated by ISY Holdings in Kuala Lumpur. It can presently be heard only in the Klang Valley on FM88.90MHz.

Also, I must mention the terrific show I heard on The Star’s REDfm on June 9.

The Red Breakfast’s Shaz and Will were truly in their element when they interviewed representatives from well-known charities Mercy Malaysia and World Vision.

The almost 60-minutes talk with the expert guests educated us all on how to make our donations truly count for the people we are trying to help – such as during the recent China earthquake and Myanmar cyclone.

The segment covered virtually everything that listeners ought to know about donating to charitable causes.

Will and Shaz asked all the right questions and kept the language simple and lively for everyone.

Note: This article was under the Top 4 of "The Most Emailed" and at No 6 on "The Most Viewed" of The Star.

Noon Delight

2008-06-25T17:30:00.002+08:00

RED'S HOT

2008-06-19T10:21:00.000+08:00

Wednesday June 18, 2008

Red’s hot

RedFM helps listeners deal with those long hours in traffic jams.

AIR RAVES by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

HAVE you tuned in to the hot, new evening drive time show on RedFM yet? It is called the Red Evening Drive. Or simply, “RED”.

And you can hear it on weekdays at 4pm. According to a spokesperson from the station which, by the way is operated by The Star, RED is already proving to be a hit with listeners – especially with audiences caught in traffic jams on their way home from work.

For four hours every day, hosts JD and Dilly will be out to entertain those on the road.

Not an easy task certainly for any radio deejay to accomplish.

However, RED has enough features on the show to help listeners overcome those crazy, tedious long hours in their vehicles.

“Music from the Movies”, for example, is a regular feature with a tricky trivia slant. Listeners are invited to match a soundtrack with a particular film.

Another mind game is the “Brainfreeze” segment where a tough riddle is tackled each day.

For the musically inclined, there is “Like A Version”. It is a feature that combines classic originals of the yesteryear with some of today’s top tracks.

Finally, be sure to catch the special recordings of “Marco’s Success Tips” on life and business that are aired daily on the show. Then catch the communication specialist on Wednesdays at 4pm when Marco Robinson personally drops by into the studio to share his success tips with listeners.

Listeners are invited to email in their questions to the special guest at marco@yourredfm.com.

Meanwhile, Father’s Day, observed on Sunday, saw quite a few interesting specials on our FM stations.

LiteFM’s daddy’s day offering was a football trivia contest.

The grand prize winner of the weeklong competition last week will be chauffeur-driven with dad on June 29 to the Euro 2008 football final viewing party at the Swiss-Garden Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The treat includes a two-day stay at the same hotel for the duo.

“My Dad, My Hero” was ERA FM’s feature last Friday. The station’s announcers Kieran, Adi and Nana conducted a lively chat with three dads on the air.

The first was Toi, of Akademi Fantasia (AF) 6 fame. He was unable to spend the critical three months with his son after he was born. This was because three days after the toddler’s birth, Toi had to join the other AF contestants for the television show.

The second was celebrity dad Aznil Haji Nawawi – arguably the most popular and successful TV personality in the country. He is also an ERA radio announcer.

Aznil, a single father of two, spoke of how being divorced was never an excuse for not giving his very best to his children.

The third dad was ERA’s announcer Nana’s father. He hilariously had his daughter blushing when he recalled how frustrating it was for him when he had to change her diapers frequently when she was a child.

De-Stress With May

2008-06-11T20:44:00.001+08:00

De-Stress With May

2008-06-11T01:21:00.000+08:00

Wednesday June 11, 2008

De-stress with May

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

DO you have a cantankerous boss? Or what about having to deal with jealous colleagues in your workplace?

Then again, you might just be a student who is having a hard time trying to adjust to your peers in class.

If such things are stressing you out, then cheer up mate! The good news is there is a radio show that truly cares about you, the listener.

Laughter Noon is a three-hour show on 988 that is guaranteed to brighten up your day.

Aired daily from Mondays to Fridays, the programme on the Chinese radio station that is operated by The Star comes on at 2pm.

Hosting the show is 26-year-old May whose chief mission is to keep listeners happy and stress-free until the clock strikes five.

In addition to listeners sharing their problems, the deejay also has topics for discussion in the Talk, Play, Love segment.

A couple of them included how to avoid being punked (tricked or teased) by your friends to the most romantic moments shared by you and your loved one.

To take part in the discussions, type and SMS it to 32733.

Laughter Noon also includes a hilarious segment called Kalefe Action where May turns serious songs into funny ones. For instance, the song titled From Tai Bei to Pei Jing provided lots of laughs recently when it was changed to From KL to Penang.

May is occasionally backed up by local pop artiste Danny One of the single, Siapa, fame. The song was a hit last year. One’s latest offering Let’s Pray was released for Earth Day in April this year.

Meanwhile, World Environment Day, which was observed last Thursday, received unprecedented attention from a number of FM stations.

Airtime Management and Programming Networks (AMP), in its biggest environmental project to date, involved all nine of its broadcasters in a single location in Sepang, Selangor, over the weekend.

Radio announcers from all the stations (including Tamil network THR Raaga and Bahasa Malaysia Gegar which share the same frequencies) spent their weekend mornings planting trees to help the environment.

The green deejays performed their thumbs up effort in Sungei Janging in Tanah Merah, Negri Sembilan, with live crossovers.

The trees were planted from the money pledged by listeners (RM50 for each tree) over the networks for the green day occasion.

The effort called a “Tree Party” was jointly organised by AMP and Wild Asia. AMP went further by pledging to bear the cost for the upkeep of the trees for the next two years. Now, how is that for great follow-up action?

Confronting Cancer

2008-06-05T00:44:00.001+08:00

Wednesday June 4, 2008

Confronting cancer

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Radio is not always about music. Frequently our FM and AM stations come up with interesting interviews that leave listeners richer in knowledge about a particular subject or issue. Last Thursday was one such example.

The topic for the day was on a disease that, despite the existence of many advances in contemporary medicine on how to treat it; still sends shivers down most of our spines.

Cancer – and debunking the myths surrounding the dreaded disease – was the hot subject on the Red Morning Breakfast Show on RedFM. It came on immediately after the 8am news. The fact that the radio station operated by The Star decided to talk about the topic – rather than try and shy away from it – was a big plus point.

Also, choosing to air the 30-minute live interview during the rush hour period was another praiseworthy effort. Think of the sheer numbers of people caught in the morning traffic jams that day that were educated as a result of the programme!

The fitting guest on the Red Breakfast was Dr Saunthari Somasundaram. She is executive director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia.

The interview was held in conjunction with a special cancer awareness event called “Relay for Life” that transpired over the last weekend in Kuala Lumpur.

Dr Saunthari spoke to Red Breakfast's hosts Shaz and Will. The exercise succeeded in uncovering many myths about cancer. These included whether microwavable plastic containers, wearing tight undergarments or living under power lines can cause cancer. It was a relief to know that the answers to those questions were negative!

She also exposed other facts, such as the importance of early cancer detection in order to treat the disease; as well as the disturbing statistics that “some 15 Malaysian women develop breast or cervical cancer every day.”

Sadly, as many as 50 percent of them will die if the disease is not detected during its early stages of development, she said.

Dr Saunthari, however, was also quick to caution that being diagnosed with cancer does not mean that the person who has the condition has been dealt a death sentence. Stressing on early detection again, she explained how it can make a big difference for all cancer patients.

The mood that morning then took on a lighter vein during the second part of the hour. Will and Shaz ran their popular “Red Morning Genius” contest segment which is designed to provide listeners with a good laugh.

Queen Elizabeth (voiced by Will) and Dolly the Sheep (by Shaz) then battled against each other in a trivia contest, which listeners can hear daily at 8.30am on the weekday show. The make-believe weekly “winner” is decided by listeners. They have to judge the daily performance of the “special contestants” in an SMS-poll conducted through the week.

Incidentally, it was the pet sheep that triumphed last week on the Red Breakfast because the questions, needless to say, were all animal-related.

Hurry, if you are reading this early this morning, you might be able to catch today's instalment!

Note: This article was listed at No 5 under the MOST VIEWED and at No 2 under the MOST EMAILED section of The Star on Wednesday - when the article came out. aNt

Ads by Google

Confronting Cancer

2008-06-04T00:02:00.000+08:00

Cosy Place To Jam

2008-05-28T01:24:00.001+08:00

Wednesday May 28, 2008

Cosy place to jam

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

ARE you bored with the present humdrum offerings on radio? And perhaps, even desperately looking for something more out-of-the-ordinary to whet your music appetite?

Well, if you are, then look no further. CAPITAL fm is the station for you! CAPITAL jams is a four-hour show on the FM broadcaster that is loaded with new music from a variety of genres.

From start to finish, listeners will be treated to some of the hottest music, including rare tracks from hip-hop, broken beat, dub step and many others.

In fact, there is a good chance that the music played on the show – which is sourced from all over the world – is not likely to be heard in any of our other FM bands.

Admittedly, while some listeners may find such selections weird, Arabyrd, the show’s host, insisted to Air Raves last week that they are eclectic and appeal to music lovers from all age groups.

Frankly, I could not help but totally agree with her when I tuned in to the show over the weekend. The music was odd but curiously wonderful. It is great for people at home on the weekends with nowhere to go but to share a cosy and private party ... on air.

Arabyrd, who is really 22-year-old Malaysian Arafah Edruce, is also rather unique in her style of presentation. Apart from having a cute voice and accent, her speech is unscripted. But that is not a problem as she seems to be able to gel well with the music she spins – occasionally even talking while the music is still playing.

And no wonder because she is a performer too: she raps, sings, dances and is about to release her first solo album in August. However, the first time deejay has a few things to learn about her new job. One of them is how to explain things clearly to listeners who are unfamiliar with her brand of music.

CAPITAL jams can be heard on Saturdays and Sundays from 9pm until 1am the next morning. The station, which is operated by ISY Holdings in Kuala Lumpur, can be heard only in the Klang Valley for now on FM88.9MHz.

Meanwhile, we all now know which of the two Davids it was who succeeded in walking away with the coveted American Idol 2008 title last Thursday.

But how about which radio station emerged as the winner for their coverage of the live event in Malaysian?

What an unexpected let down it was for the many of us who had expected Hitz.fm to get the crown. More so as the station had been faithfully running related features on Idols every week since the latest season began.

Most of the other radio stations practically snubbed the event. Hitz.fm, for at least an hour-and-a-half during the live ceremony in Los Angeles, said virtually nothing about Idol or cared to air live audio clips or any latest updates.

Even when the results were finally announced live on TV, it took about 10 minutes before Hitz.fm disclosed it to listeners and everyone knows that is too long a time for radio.

Who Will Win?

2008-05-25T01:11:00.002+08:00

PRINT DATE: Wednesday, MAY 21, 2008

Start of Article

T

HE spotlight is not only on but red hot over the next two days.

Who will walk away with the coveted American Idol 2008 title? This is what pop music fans are dying to know this week.

Will it be 17-year old David Archuleta from Murray in Utah?

Or the rugged David Cook from Blue Springs, Missouri, instead who is eight years senior to the baby-faced Archuleta?

The answers will finally be revealed in two culminating live performances scheduled to be telecast from Los Angeles today (finals) and tomorrow (results show).

Kindly check with The Star’s TV page for show-time details.

For those who cannot be by their TV sets during the live broadcasts, take heart.

Hitz.fm is hot on the American Idol trail too.

In fact, ever since this latest Idol show started, the radio station has been running a contest to offer listeners a rare chance to be in Hollywood during the Idol action.

Now the radio station is offering another special again.

In the next couple of days, Hitz.fm listeners will be able to sample some of the notable high and low points of the entire Idol’s seven seasons since it began in 2002.

The feature called “The Best and Worst of American Idol” will be aired throughout the Morning Crew show from 6am to 10am.

Over the next couple of days there will also be ‘live’ crossovers to the Kodak Theatre where the event is transpiring.

Look out also for first-hand reports from Hitz.fm listener, Jeremy Matthew Danker.

He is the winner of the once-in-a-lifetime chance from the station and Star World to be in Hollywood to watch the action unfold.

Danker, 24, from Klang is spending three days in LA along with other extremely lucky Star World winners from The Philippines, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

Elsewhere, listeners to Bernama’s Radio24 will have noticed some new changes in the radio station this month.

The additions are generally in two programming time belts.

From 7am to 7pm daily, listeners can expect to hear the latest news developments in Malaysia and around the world.

Radio24 has clearly made some progress here. However, some of its news anchors need to urgently liven up their presentation style.

Their pace of introducing news stories is not quick enough when compared to other news broadcasters like Singapore’s 938 LIVE and BBC World Service.

This afternoon, for instance, the female anchor whom I was listening to did not sound motivated at all when she read the news. From her tone of voice it appeared as if the whole exercise was a great chore for her.

The station’s talk shows are aired from 7pm until 7am. When I listened, I noted a distinct difference among the presenters. Some were remarkable in their input and content.

Others, well, not to offend anyone in Radio24, were just plain boring to listen to.

Another weak spot of the round-the-clock broadcaster is its traffic reports. They are read with even poorer quality.

Some of them are so bad that we do not know what is being said.

Witty K6 Gang on 988

2008-05-16T03:10:00.001+08:00

Wednesday May 14, 2008

Witty K6 Gang

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

MOST of us who work in offices just cannot wait for the clock to strike five. That is when we at last get to head for home. After that, it is relaxation all the way.

Now, there is no need for the long wait anymore. Not even if you are caught in one of our notorious traffic jams.

All you need to do is have your car stereo tuners switched on. And then, make sure that your radio dials are pointed at 988.

Operated by The Star, the radio station’s current attraction is a team of two deejays called KK and Luke. They host the K6 Gang Show from Monday to Friday (5pm-8pm).

“The witty duo are sometimes mischievous, but almost always quite funny – providing the perfect ingredients to help listeners unwind during their journey home,” said a spokeswoman for 988 last week.

The DJs are also on hand to help listeners solve their boy/girl problems and offer tips on how to finally give your boss the message: “Where’s my pay rise”.

In one recent romantic segment, the guys succeeded in getting a young man to propose to his girlfriend live on the programme.

In order to get the deejays' attention, all you need to do is type and SMS your question to 32733.

Meanwhile, be sure not to miss Friday’s instalment of K6 Gang. Popular Hong Kong singing sensation Eason Chan will be making a live guest appearance at 7pm in the studio.

KK and Luke will take a full one-hour to get all the exciting low-down about Chan direct from the performer himself who has won numerous acclaims including from Time Magazine.

Chan will be quizzed on his upcoming concert next month. He will be asked about other things he has been busy with lately, including his once in a lifetime experience of taking part recently in the Olympic torch run exercise.

Fans can put their questions to the singer during the programme via SMS and send to: 32733.

Finally, last Thursday was World Thalassaemia Day. Few Malaysians knew about it until we tuned in to Bernama’s Radio24.

The station’s broadcast journalist Tan Su Lin, who frequently reports disability stories, presented some interesting insights into the condition.

The brief report included a couple of audio clip interviews from a medical expert and someone who has the condition.

Tan’s report emphasised that support from all quarters was essential for thalassaemics to lead a high quality of life.

Thalassaemia – simply put – is an inherited disease of the blood in which haemoglobin fails to form properly.

AH LEONG THE HANDYMAN

2008-04-30T20:15:00.004+08:00

Do you face construction or plumbing problems in your home or office? If yes, then thank God for Fridays! That is the heaven-sent day when a certain Mr Fix It drops by on the Red Breakfast show on Red FM.

Mr Fix It shares with listeners useful ideas and money-saving tips on home renovations, decorations and other related matters.

The segment on the station, operated by The Star, is called Ask Ah Leong. It can be heard immediately after the 8 o'clock morning news.

According to Red FM's morning show producer Audrey Raj, Ah Leong gives listeners the inside story on plumbing each week.

He is also sought after for his tips on how to get around some of the annoying red tape that is usually involved in home and office repairs and construction.

In some of his past segments Leong had helped listeners to identify dishonest contractors.

Then, there was even one rare moment when he received a request from “Queen Elizabeth II” to soundproof Buckingham Palace. (Red Breakfast’s deejay host Will was, of course, the one responsible for his wicked impersonation of Queen E!). I caught Leong’s show last Friday and was most impressed.

Not only is he quite skilled in this subject, he also possesses a unique way of communicating with his listeners.

Leong speaks in Malaysian English. Whilst teachers of English and foreigners may frown at his Manglish, I think his style is refreshing and unique.

What is important really is that Ah Leong manages to get his message across to listeners. His simple – and often amusing style – is also able to effectively dismiss technical and unnecessary jargon related to his profession, which Red wishes to keep secret for some reason until next month.

However, I find that there are too many music breaks during the interview sessions with Leong. To “Ask Ah Leong” a question, listeners can e-mail the show at mail@redbreakfast.com or call 03-4043 1049 when the programme is on.

For traffic jam updates, you can check out Radio 24, which started a new traffic update feature last week.

This is in addition to its current hourly updates on the roads that can be heard during the daytime.

Called the SMART Highway Info on weekdays, listeners will now be further updated on the latest traffic situation at 34 minutes past the hour.

The coverage is from 7am to 7pm.

NOTE: This article ranked at NO 6 under The Star's Most Viewed articles and at No 2 in the Most Emailed area when I logged in.

KEEPING YOU AWAKE

2008-04-24T00:21:00.002+08:00

Wednesday April 23, 2008

Keeping you awake

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Listeners in the Klang Valley who have been having trouble keeping awake at night during their graveyard shifts have no problems now, thanks to Capital FM on 88.9FM.

The wee hours of the morning until dawn on weekdays are no longer the drab that it once used to be.

The newest broadcaster launched on Feb 1 this year has been playing rock music to liven up the early morning listening belt as part of its latest attraction.

The source of their joy is Capital FM’s latest DJ addition: Kevin B (aka Kevin Boudville) and his new show On the Edge .

Aired daily from 2am until 6am on weekdays on the 24-hour station, Kevin B manages to quite successfully dish out a great mix of hard, as well as soft and easy-to-listen rock tracks.

Even if you are not a rock fan, you will probably still be drawn in by the daily song features and the DJ's flair.

Kevin B is not only totally at ease with his electronic music machine, but is also warm and friendly to callers.

The only downside is that you have to constantly remind yourself to keep the volume low so as not to wake up your neighbours in your excitement.

Here’s a quick round-up of what listeners can expect from On the Edge:

Mondays: Chart-topping tracks plus Kevin B's personal picks. Psycho by Puddle of Mud, The Pretender by Foo Fighters and Beautiful by Ten Years were among the recent offerings.

Tuesdays: Choice albums played back-to-back, contests and new releases as freebies for listeners.

Wednesdays: Spotlight on local Indie bands such as False Opus, Flop Poppy and OAG.

Thursdays: Revisit old school retro rock from the 60s-80s legends such as Led Zeppelin, Scorpions and Deep Purple.

Fridays: An infotainment hub for the latest news, happenings, gigs and concerts in town.

World famous saxophonist Kenny G was interviewed on the telephone for about 10 minutes by Red FM’s Will and Shaz on Monday last week on the Red Breakfast show.

The interview, although brief, revealed some interesting facts about the musician.

These included Kenny G will be staging a concert at Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands this Saturday; the musician’s love affair with the sax started when he was 10 years old; and if he had not chosen a saxophone, it would have been a trumpet.

Finally, Tamil New Year on April 13 saw THR Raaga announcers Maran, Meena, Nisha and Revathy in the streets of Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. The deejays were distributing Indian sweets to passers-by.

Much to their surprise, a bus suddenly pulled over next to them.

They were after the treats too after the driver had heard about what they were up to on the radio.

NOTE: This article was listed at NO 6 under THE MOST VIEWED in The Star and at NO 1 under THE MOST EMAILED.

SPREADING HEALTHY MESSAGE BY ANTHONY THANASAYAN, AIR RAVES, THE STAR

2008-04-16T20:36:00.003+08:00

It's very encouraging that local radio stations are showing concern and responsibility by airing programmes related to health issues. Programmes on health and disability dominated the airwaves on at least two radio stations last week.

World Parkinson’s Day (WPD) on April 11 was a major highlight on the Bernama News Agency’s radio station, Radio24. The round-the-clock broadcaster from Kuala Lumpur featured a live interview with neurologist Dr Norlinah Mohamed Ibrahim last Wednesday.

Celebrity health and fitness expert Kevin Zahri revealed interesting tips on ERA FM.

Aired for two hours from 8pm, the doctor spoke at length about the medical aspects of the disease. Parkinson’s disease (PD), incidentally, is a progressive and degenerative condition of the nervous system. Her talk was conducted in Bahasa Malaysia.

Whilst the programme did its part to raise some public awareness about PD, I thought that there was too much focus on the disease and its negative effects. My concern was that some of the cold medical facts that were disclosed on the show might have unwittingly frightened away some listeners.

But Radio24 had more up its sleeve. Things were much better the next day, when the station conducted another live interview with a PD patient and caregiver. The speakers were from the top brass of the Malaysian Parkinson Disease Association in Kuala Lumpur (MPDA).

The studio guests spoke candidly about their real life experiences. Their ultimate message: There is life after Parkinson’s!

Earlier in the morning for WPD, Radio24’s correspondent Tan Su Lin presented an excellent and timely pre-recorded report on PD and what it was all about. The brief segment lasted about five minutes. It featured audio clips from the same guest neurologist and Sara Lew, president of the 14-year old MPDA.

Meanwhile, celebrity health and fitness expert Kevin Zahri was ERA FM’s live guest for World Health Day on April 7. The author of Fitness 24/7 engaged listeners on the Airtime Management and Programming’s BM broadcaster at 8.30am – a most opportune moment to catch rush hour audiences.

Also joined by ERA’s announcers Nana, Kieran and Adi on the Pagi@ERA show, Kevin revealed interesting tips on how listeners could effectively manage their health and fitness to suit our Malaysian lifestyles.

Touching on favourite foods such as nasi lemak and teh tarik, for instance, the health and fitness adviser pointed out that our love for such food and drinks should not serve as an excuse for anyone for not keeping healthy and fit. The morning discussion with Kevin on Pagi@Era proved to be a lively and fun topic for everyone.

Here are a couple of great tips that Kevin offered to listeners on how not only to keep their tummies trim, but also to help keep one awake and alert all day.

Rice – As a general rule, the ideal serving should be the size of one’s fist regardless of the size of the person.

Stairs – Use them in place of lifts. It always makes a difference!

Game Creator and more

2008-04-09T02:47:00.001+08:00

Wednesday April 9, 2008

Game creator and more

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Rush hour morning listeners who tuned in to Red Breakfast show on Red FM were treated to some interesting guests and curious topics last week.

The FM station operated by The Star conducted an interview on Friday with Shane Walters, one of the creators of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider game.

Then it was the turn for two stress management foreign professors in the studio to share some of their insights into how one could effectively de-stress oneself from modern day stress factors such as those caused by Facebook and TV show American Idol.

“Sexy pharmacists” was the morning chat topic on Thursday on the weekdays show aired from 6am to 10am.

Local celebrities Harith Iskander and Ida Nerina played temporary hosts on Wednesday in a segment of the Red Breakfast with regulars Will and Shaz.

The start of the weekday on Monday featured wedding company DreamWorks’ specialists giving out ideas to listeners on how to plan their dream wedding for just under RM10,000.

However, Tuesday was really the highlight of the week. Astrologer Madam Zorra who could foretell the future simply by reading people’s faces and their birth dates helped to dispel any dark clouds in the lives of listeners that morning.

Red FM invited them to e-mail or SMS in their birth dates – including a picture of themselves if they could – so that Madam Zorra could reveal some of their secrets on the live broadcast.

A pretty risky thing, if you ask me. However, Shaz sportingly not only offered to have her predictions read on the air, but also asked Zorra to read her children’s future as well.

A foreigner listening in from Italy via the Internet also sent in his picture and birthday details to Zorra who promptly read out his predictions to him.

As for Shaz, all I can recall Zorra saying about the deejay was that she is a “volatile” and “difficult to handle” person.

Nonetheless, Red FM did good with Madam Zorra who captivated listeners.

Let’s hope that this can become a regular feature on the radio station to make our mornings interesting.

Madam Zorra, by the way, was also an excellent speaker and not microphone-shy at all.

Tuesday also happened to be April Fool’s day. I was tuned in from dawn hoping to hear some pranks for the day – or at least stories about it – on our broadcasters but there was nothing on it.

Apart from the usual pranks played by Hitz.fm’s JJ and Rudy in their Gotcha segments, there was nothing done specifically for April 1.

Having said that, however, one of the Gotcha segments was truly hilarious.

One of the announcers rang up a divorce lawyer and pretended that he was having a fight with his wife at home at that very moment, with the sound of glass breaking in the background.

The special-effects was created by one of the Morning Crew deejays. The announcer on the telephone with the lawyer did some great acting on his part. As for the lawyer, he was amazingly cool throughout the conversation.

SORRY! NO AIR RAVES TODAY. COLUMN WILL RESUME NEXT WEEK

2008-03-26T03:19:00.001+08:00

ELECTIONS STILL A HOT TOPIC ON THE AIRWAVES

2008-03-19T16:22:00.004+08:00

Still a hot topic

AIR RAVES BY ANTHONY THANASAYAN

MORE than a week after our general election on March 8, Malaysian politics is still a hot item on many radio stations around the world.

Among several of Radio Australia’s (RA) follow-up stories on our recent polls, the latest was a special interview programme.

The Melbourne-based broadcaster’s Asia Pacific show spoke to a number of our local experts from varied backgrounds.

The interviews, which were conducted separately, lasted four and a half minutes. It was aired last Thursday.

The topic revolved around what RA described as PAS’ “huge gains” during the elections.

“For the first time (the Islamic party succeeded in) pushing (itself) into urban middle-class areas (of the country),” added the Australian international broadcaster.

RA’s presenter Bill Bainbridge spoke to five people.

They were PAS MP for Taman Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur Dr Lo’ Lo’ Datuk Hj Mohd Ghazali; Dr Norani Othman, Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Malaysian and International Studies in Bangi, Selangor; and Tricia Yeoh, Senior Research Analyst at the Centre for Public Policy Studies in Kuala Lumpur.

The other two were also from our nation’s capital: Rev Dr Herman Shastri, executive secretary of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, and Mohamad Dehalan, a Kampung Baru resident and retired town planner.

According to Mohamad Dehalan, the reason why many voters decided to switch over to the Opposition was because they were fed up with the level of corruption in the country.

He also added that whilst he personally would like to see Syariah laws being enacted in Malaysia, he realised that would never happen because a two-thirds majority is required in Parliament in order to achieve it.

Yeoh opined that the fear of Islamisation was what prompted the Chinese and Indians to significantly shift their votes.

On the fears of PAS pushing their conservative brand of Islam, Rev Shastri pointed out that moderates in the party ought to know that “the path to political power is to emphasise their anti-corruption agenda; not strict Islamic laws.”

Meanwhile, the 30-minute swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the National Palace on March 10 was carried live by RTM’s Klasik Nasional FM.

Traxx FM conducted a five-minute live crossover round-up of the ceremony when everything was over.

It was a disappointment, however, that RTM’s English radio station did not broadcast the event.

Not only was the event more than worthy of a live transmission, but airing it in English would have benefited many English-speaking listeners in appreciating the details of the ceremony that transpired.

Finally, kudos to Radio 24’s recent coverage of our 12th general election which helped to make the event even more special for radio listeners.

The station which is operated by Bernama presented a lot of insights and views on our voting process.

Its crossovers to the polling booths across the country were generally kept lively and straight to the point.

12th General Elections - Top News On World Radio Broadcasts

2008-03-14T17:54:00.003+08:00

World Radio Stations On Our Recent General Elections

2008-03-14T17:42:00.002+08:00

Top world news

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The winds of change that swept across the country, which shocked and awed the entire nation last weekend, was also strongly felt by many radio broadcasters around the globe.

“Badawi fails to get a two-thirds majority” was the top world news bulletin on All India Radio (AIR).

The New Delhi broadcaster made the announcement last Sunday, a day after Malaysians went to the polls to pick a new government.

Describing the 12th General Elections as one of Malaysia’s ruling coalition’s worst electoral performances, AIR told its worldwide audience that the Barisan Nasional had “lost control of four state governments and failed to win a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time since 1969”.

AIR pointed out that the polls results had even “raised questions about the political future of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi”.

It also mentioned Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s parliamentary seat loss, describing him as “Malaysia’s lone ethnic Tamil Minister”.

“The elections were held amidst complaints of racial inequality by ethnic Indians and rise in crime and corruption”, concluded the South Asia broadcaster.

China Radio International (CRI) from Beijing called the poll outcome “a setback for the BN”.

Radio Australia (RA) commented that “Malaysia’s opposition parties had pulled off a historic election performance posing the first challenge to the BN in five decades”.

The Melbourne-based broadcaster added that while “Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi’s coalition government will stay on in office, for the first time since independence in 1957 there will be a sizeable opposition in Parliament”.

RA said former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described the phenomenal event as a ”defining moment in Malaysia’s history, and a big success for the opposition”.

The Australian radio station also quoted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s accusation of the Prime Minister of “destroying” the coalition, and suggesting that Badawi quit his post.

Washington DC’s Voice of America broadcast’s Luis Ramirez from Kuala Lumpur – speaking to local analysts in Malaysia – narrowed down the BN’s shocking poor performance to complaints of complacency and corruption.

Quoting James Chin, a politics professor at Kuala Lumpur’s Monash University, Ramirez said that the BN ought to look for pragmatic ways to rebuild support or face extinction.

“The BN government has heard the message loud and clear,” Chin told the VOA. “(Now) they (must) do something about it (if) they (want) to win the next election,” he concluded.

Note: This article appeared on Friday. Air Raves will resume on Wednesdays from next week.

Election In The Air

2008-03-06T19:58:00.002+08:00

News & Features, The Star, Wednesday March 5, 2008

Election coverage on air

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

MALAYSIANS go to the polls on Saturday. The exercise is to decide who gets to govern the nation over the next five years.

The run-up to our general election (Malaysia’s 12th to date) this weekend, meanwhile, seems to be getting good coverage on Radio24.

The round-the-clock bilingual broadcaster in Bahasa Malaysia and English which is operated by the Bernama News Agency in Kuala Lumpur is currently running a special two-hour weekday talk show on the elections.

Named Hello Pilihan Raya and aired only in Bahasa Malaysia, the programme can be heard today until Friday at 8pm.

Listeners will not only be able to know more about the many political and social issues in the country but also acquire a better background understanding at the end of the shows.

These will be provided by the many prominent political personalities who are invited to proffer their views in the studio. The guests range from political analysts to ex-politicians and observers.

On Saturday listeners can expect to hear voting and result updates from what the station describes as “hot” locations around the country.

These include the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah, Perlis and Perak.

Radio24’s anchors will also be able to rely on the support of Bernama’s own team of news journalists when presenting their live-crossovers and news reports on the broadcast.

Whilst the bad news is that Radio24 can only be heard at the present time by listeners in the Klang Valley on the frequency of FM 93.9MHz – the good news is that people living outside the stipulated area can tune in to the FM broadcaster via the Internet. All one has to do is to got to www.radio24.com.my.

On Radio24’s homepage, web surfers will also find the latest news updates on the general election as a tasty treat.

Recently, quite a few independent bloggers apparently gave the thumbs up to Radio24 for having conducted a poll last month where it was revealed that 80% of its respondents felt that blogs did not jeopardise the democratic process of our nation.

The results of the poll findings were broadcast over Radio24. Well done!

And speaking of alternative views, Melbourne’s Radio Australia ran a news feature last week on our elections.

The Asia Pacific segment of the international broadcaster highlighted a number of interesting topics in the country by speaking to Tian Chua, the information chief for the opposition Keadilan party and social anthropologist Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Nomination Day Coverage On Radio

2008-02-27T08:45:00.004+08:00

Keeping up to date

Air Raves, StarTwo, The Star

LAST Sunday was certainly no ordinary day for Malaysians. It was the much anticipated nomination day for our political candidates of the respective parties ahead of next week’s exciting 12th General Elections in our country.

And Red fm was there for its listeners. From 9am until 1pm Red, which is operated by The Star, presented as frequently as four updates each hour on what was happening over at many of the nomination centres throughout the nation.

The FM broadcaster had six radio deejays posted on the ground in order to bring the action direct into the homes of listeners of Red.

The updates were presented as live crossover reports. Each report lasted for about two minutes.

The deejays not only spoke about the nominated candidates but also conducted brief interviews with some of the people at the centres. Listeners were able to feel the mood of the people in each venue this way.

Fans of Red are advised to stick with the broadcaster for more news on the March 8 Elections as the days get nearer. Meanwhile, the announcement of the election date a fortnight ago on Feb 14 witnessed many of our media scrambling to get the news to Malaysians and the world through radio, television and SMS.

However, sometimes being the first may not always make one the best – as Radio24 obviously discovered.

The station’s anchor in the studio was clearly not prepared about what to do should a delay in a scheduled event occur.

The problem started when Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman took a longer time to make his announcement. As a result, the 24-hour news station’s listeners ended up not knowing what was happening for a good 10 minutes or so.

Whilst television viewers could at least see what was going on, radio listeners could not. All we heard were voices mumbling. Radio24’s anchor should have intervened at once and criss-crossed back to the studio to apologise for the glitch.

Then, crossover back when everything was ready.

The same day was also Valentine’s Day. Whilst many of the English radio stations were pretty much in a

lovey-dovey mood all morning, some broadcasters tried to be different and downplay – or even dismiss the occasion.

Hitz.fm promoted “Single Awareness Day” which fell on the same day.

Red fm’s Shaz boldly proclaimed that Valentines over the recent years had become rather overrated.

RAT TREATS

2008-02-20T15:49:00.002+08:00

RAT TREATS

2008-02-20T15:09:00.004+08:00

AIR RAVES NEWSFLASH! My column as of today will appear on Wednesdays from now on. aNt

Wednesday February 20, 2008
Air Raves, StarTwo, The Star

Rat treats

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Tomorrow is Chap Goh Mei, an auspicious day which marks the final day to the Lunar New Year celebrations to welcome the Year of the Rat.

I cannot think of a more fitting time to look back and see what kind of treats the Rat recently decided to bring for us on radio.

I was delighted to observe several non-Chinese language broadcasters – particularly the Bahasa Malaysia radio stations – taking special interest in the lunar event.

I say this because over the recent years some of them have not been doing so, or at least, not enough.

Radio stations like Asyik FM run by RTM got its mostly Malay listeners to send out their Gong Xi Fa Cai greetings to Chinese listeners in the Eve of CNY.

Although many of them were taking advantage of the long festive holidays to return to their hometowns to be with their families, many still found time to call in to the studio to convey their greetings.

Asyik’s male deejay on duty was enthusiastic about the occasion. He reminded listeners about our multi-religious and multiracial country, sent his greetings out to all the “towkays” (Chinese businessman) listening in and reminded those on the road to drive safely.

I understand that there were lesser accidents on the road this year. If true, I have no doubt that a good chunk of the credit should go towards the radio stations for their frequent safe-driving messages on the airwaves.

I heard quite a few of them and was quite impressed. Having said that, however, I feel that there is still room for improvement.

Radio stations, for instance, should have invited personalities, politicians, or even the man-in-the-street to give out brief safe-driving messages to listeners during the festivities. The messages should be short, concise and kept amusing so that listeners will pay attention to them.

As for music, one FM station chose to give its listeners a heavy and long dose of sentimental songs during the evening hours of CNY. I seriously wonder about the wisdom of such a decision as loves songs tend to make some people sleepy!

NOTE: TODAY'S ARTICLE RANKED AT NO 10 IN THE STAR ONLINE.

Will Indians vote for change on March 8?/ Note: Ranked No 9 In Most Viewed

2008-02-14T12:10:00.003+08:00

Thursday February 14, 2008

Will Indians vote for change?

AIR RAVES, THE STAR

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Malaysians are not the only ones interested in our general election.

The next one – our 12th to date since Merdeka in 1957 – is likely to occur very soon.

Last week, Radio Australia (RA) predicted that there would be a very poor show of support at the polls for Barisan Nasional (BN) this time around from the Indian community, which, the international broadcaster pointed out, has stood by the ruling party for half a century.

The Melbourne-based radio station based this assertion on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s recent remarks to The Star. He had admitted that the BN can expect to have less support from ethnic Indian voters in the next election.

RA’s Asia-Pacific programme presenter Nasya Bahfen interviewed Manogar Marimuthu, president of the Malaysian Tamil Education Research & Development Foundation, on the issue.

Manogar told RA that the Indian community had long complained about a lack of jobs and educational opportunities. “The protest rallies by Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) only drew more attention to the situation,” he added.

Manogar said that the sizes of the rallies, which took the Government by surprise, were prompted by the destruction of Hindu temples.

Sheer devotion: A group of devotees carrying paal kudam (milk filled container) during the Thaipusam celebrations.

He went on to say that whilst he sympathised with the MIC because it was only a “small minority” within the ruling coalition, he thought that the party would “suffer serious setbacks” in the coming polls.

RA, on its part, told its worldwide audiences that Abdullah has promised to address the destruction of Hindu temples and other grievances ahead of the election.

“The general election is expected to be called as early as next month, although it doesn’t need to be held until 2009,” the broadcaster concluded.

Meanwhile, Thaipusam on Jan 23 saw some tasty on-air treats on local radio.

RTM’s Tamil-language broadcaster MinnalFM provided interesting coverage on how the event was being observed in various states in the country. One of the crossovers I heard was to Malacca. It was done clearly and glitch-free.

TraxxFM’s Wake Up show talked about the incredible feats performed by kavadi bearers at Batu Caves. The deejays gave out information about the special diet and strict discipline the faithful have to endure to fulfil their vows.

Finally, Bernama News Agency’s Radio24 once again performed with flying colours. Besides its regular updates on how Thaipusam was being observed in the country, a note of appreciation should go out to the broadcaster for its special festive greeting promo by its staff for the occasion.

It seemed to have been done rather spontaneously, with everyone (in the studio) wishing everyone (on the air) a joyous Thaipusam. One could even hear an Indian classical music instrument being played in the background in the audio clip.

A simple act like that – and the trouble taken to do it – was enough to immerse us all in the festive mood immediately.

Radio Australia And Indians For Change

2008-02-14T10:07:00.007+08:00

Rat On The Radio

2008-02-07T16:06:00.002+08:00

News & Features Thursday February 7, 2008

Rat on the radio

StarTwo, The Star

Air Raves: By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

IT is the first day of another brand new lunar year again. And our radio airwaves are full of seasonal sounds from the Orient especially among the Chinese broadcasters. Here are some of the specials that are being aired to mark the start of the Year of the Rat:

Radio 988 (Operated by The Star)

From now until Valentine’s Day next Thursday, listeners are invited to SMS in their felicitations for CNY and Valentine’s Day to 988. All one has to do is to key in the festive day they are referring to in their mobile phones and follow it up with a space. Next, include the name of the person you wish to send your greetings to and follow it up with another space. Finally add your brief dedication message. When completed, promptly send your message to 32733.

The cheery 988 deejays in the studio will take it from there. Expect to hear one of them read out your SMS dedications and song requests anytime throughout the day.

For those of you who prefer to hear forecasts of what might await you in the Rat year then listen out for specially recorded interviews with Hong Kong’s Feng Shui Master Edward Lik Kui Ming’s expert reading of the zodiac signs.

Music wise, 988 will also feature, among others, a special interview with upcoming Hong Kong boy band SunBoyz.

988 is also offering RM100 in cash to anyone who can correctly identify the voices of the radio station’s deejays conveying their CNY greeting on the air.

The numbers to call are 03-4048 1198. Good luck to each caller!

Note all of the 988 features are a daily affair on the broadcaster.

MY FM (Operated by Airtime Management and Programming))

MY FM 12 Animals Capsules has been a popular feature on the station for several years during the lunar celebrations. The Chinese Zodiac forecast show returns this year with a new set of predictions in the Chinese horoscope.

Listeners can catch the forecasts daily until Feb 15. Listen out for them every hour from 9am to 9pm.

The capsules feature the expert views of well-known Taiwanese astrologer, Yu Yang, covering many different aspects of an individual’s life – love, career, health, etc.

China Radio International (CRI)

Finally, how about going for a more original feel of CNY by tuning in to China Radio International?

The Beijing broadcaster has been talking a lot about the lunar New Year to its international audiences explaining to them that no one knows exactly when and how the 12 animals in the zodiac calendar were chosen to represent the special years which are also known as the “12 earthly branches.”

CRI can be heard daily at the following times: 12am – 2am, 8am – 10am, 2pm – 4pm and 6pm – midnight.

The frequencies to tune in to are: 7.325 kHz, 41 metres; 9.730 & 9.870kHz, 31m; 11.650, 11.885 & 11.980kHz, 25m; 13.645, 13.590 & 13.720kHz, 22m and 17.710 kHz, 16m.

NOTE: This article ranked at Number 4 in the Top 9 list of The Most Viewed Pages in The Star Online on the day that it was published.

Radio SOS

2008-01-27T16:53:00.000+08:00

News & Features Sunday January 27, 2008

Power to inform

Air Raves

STARMAG, THE STAR

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

TO many people, radio is synonymous with “entertainment”.

But, to me, a good broadcaster should not only be about pleasure; it should also inform listeners about the world they live in and what goes on in it. Such information may well be lifesaving knowledge for them one day.

Then there is the vital role of educating the public and raising awareness of issues – from social to health and more.

In closely monitoring our local FM bands over the years, I’m happy to welcome a marked improvement – especially of late – in many broadcasters.

It wasn’t too long ago that some of our deejays were callously making flippant or insensitive remarks about other people’s plight.

Thankfully, nowadays radio stations do appear to be more sensitive and in tuned with public sentiments. At the same time they are more responsive in times of crisis.

Some of them even attempt to go the extra mile despite their limited resources. The current flood situation caused by heavy rains is a good example.

Sadly, there were evacuees again last week. This time, 300 residents in two villages in Pekan, Pahang, were forced to abandon their homes because of the rising waters.

Radio24, the all-news broadcaster operated by Bernama in Kuala Lumpur, has been updating listeners on floods in various states since early December. It diligently kept up with its duty to cover the flood situation even as the nation celebrated two major holidays – Hari Raya Korban and Christmas.

During particularly bad weather, listeners were still able to follow news reports as frequent as each hour throughout the day.

Radio24 not only kept the public informed of the rising water levels but other details too, such as the kinds of aid available to the flood victims as well as the Government’s short-term and long-term plans in flood alleviation.

It also conducted live crossover interviews with officials to keep the people posted on how the flood victims were coping at the evacuation centres.

Apart from that, Radio24 also provided useful tips about what to do during an emergency and possible ways to reduce the risk of becoming a flood victim. These were aired either through short public service announcements (PSAs) or in audio capsules throughout the day.

Listeners in the Klang Valley can tune in to Radio24 on FM93.9MHz.

Those outside the area may access it via the Internet: http://www.radio24.com.my/main.html. Once in and after the introduction page, click on Radio24 Live Streaming.

Despite living in the cyber age, the writer insists that radio still provides a unique window on the world. When he isn’t scanning bandwidths, he helps to raise awareness of positive living with pets through his organisation, Petpositive (Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association).

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE LAST TIME AIR RAVES WILL APPEAR ON SUNDAYS IN STARMAG. FROM NOW ON, YOU CAN READ AIR RAVES ON THURSDAYS IN THE STARTWO SECTION OF THE STAR. AIR RAVES WILL APPEAR NEXT ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008, ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHINESE YEAR.

Air Raves To Be Printed On Thursdays Soon

2008-01-21T21:07:00.000+08:00

NEWSFLASH!

Air Raves is moving to a new day beginning the end of the month. Sunday, January 27 will be the last time when Air Raves appears on StarMag.

Starting on February 7, Air Raves will now be featured on every Thursdays - the day in which Wheel Power also appears.

The change of day for the column is scheduled to feature a more picture-driven format rather than a text-centred article.

By moving to Thursdays, Air Raves will now appear in StarTwo instead of StarMag.

So here's to Thursday, February 7 then!

Readership/Circulation of The Star and Sunday Star

Readership
Star		Other newspapers
The Star (daily)	1,136,000	New Straits Times	339,000
Sunday Star	1,039,000	New Sunday Times	306,000
* Source: Nielsen Media Research Q4 2006 (Oct 2006 - Dec 2006)		Malay Mail	61,000
		Sun (daily)	176,000

Circulation
Star		Other newspapers
The Star (daily)	310,288	New Straits Times	140,337
Sunday Star	323,644	New Sunday Times	153,203
* Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations, Malaysia - 1st Jul 2006 - 31st Dec 2006		Malay Mail	21,804
		Weekend Mail (20th May 2006 to 19th Nov 2006)	35,501
		The Edge	22,875
		The Sun	247,675

New Beginnings For The New Year

2008-01-21T01:22:00.000+08:00

News & Features Sunday January 20, 2008

New beginnings

Air Raves: By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

StarMag, Sunday Star

IKIM.fm welcomed the Muslim new year (Maal Hijrah 1429) with several programmes, beginning with an evening prayer recitation the day before. It came on after a final prayer was said for the past year before the call for azan prayers was made for the Maghrib. The reflective mood continued until the wee hours of Jan 10.

The Islamic broadcaster operated by Ikim (Institute of Islamic Understanding) then opened up the telephone lines for listeners to interact with each other. Many took the opportunity to send out their New Year’s Day – also known as Awal Muharram – wishes to their friends and families.

At 6.30am, Tafsir Al-Quran, a 15-minute programme about Maal Hijrah and how it is celebrated by Muslims, was presented by Haji Zahazan Mohammad.

At 7.30am, Ustaz Zulramli, in his show Durul Hikmah, pointed out some of the challenges in 1429. For those who wished to know about the origins of Maal Hijrah, their questions were answered by DJ Siti Rohani Surani in Nur Pagi after that.

The morning segment also included live crossovers to the Putrajaya International Convention Centre where a national celebration was under way. The occasion was graced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, and the country’s top leaders. The commentary was provided by IKIM.fm’s Zamri Zainal Abidin.

Meanwhile, Malaysia was featured by Radio Australia (RA) on Jan 8: “Panic buying prompts cooking oil rationing in Malaysia”.

The Melbourne-based international radio channel reported that the Malaysian government was forcing retailers to ration cooking oil to consumers after a bout of panic buying led to a shortage in shops.

“It is believed that the recent rush on cooking oil followed rumours of a price hike, although the government also says consumers have been hoarding supplies,” RA added in the news item that lasted about four minutes.

It went on to say that the new limits were due to go into force (on Jan 7), but Malaysia’s Bernama national news agency said retailers began limiting purchases at the weekend.

Those interviewed in the RA report were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Socio-Economic Development and Research Institute executive director Khoo Kay Peng, and Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor, president Datuk Dr Jacob George.

It was presented by Girish Sawlani.

Radio Australia can be generally tuned in via short waves daily from 3am until 1am. For best results, please try all the frequencies: 6.080kHz, 49m; 9.475 & 9.500kHz, 31m; 11.660, 11.695 & 11.840kHz, 25m; 15.240 & 15.415kHz, 19m; 17.750 & 17.775kHz, 16m; and 21.725kHz, 13m.

n Despite living in the cyber age, the writer insists that radio still provides a unique window on the world. When he isn’t scanning bandwidths, he helps to raise awareness of positive living with pets through his organisation, Petpositive (Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association).

Note: This article was in the Top 3 position in The Star on the day it was printed.

How 2007 ended on the airwaves

2008-01-17T00:36:00.000+08:00

News & Features Sunday January 13, 2008

Downside to countdown

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

StarMag, Sunday Star

THE recent 2008 New Year celebrations might have witnessed larger countdown crowds than usual at special events across the nation. But how was it like on radio, especially for home listeners who didn’t join the throngs at outdoor parties?

Picking out the best radio station for its “New Year feel” on the last day of the outgoing 2007 was frankly not difficult. Regrettably, not many radio stations went all out to make the occasion memorable for the audience.

The station that did its best to get listeners excited about sending off the old year and embracing the new was the all-news channel Radio24 run by Bernama in Kuala Lumpur.

Throughout the day the network had detailed some of the defining moments of 2007. These ranged from groundbreaking stories such as the space mission of Malaysia’s first angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor in October to the first ever appointment of a disabled person as senator in December.

The top stories were highlighted right up to the midnight countdown. Additional anchors were put on duty to provide for an interesting live chat with listeners.

Good or largely unmatched though it was with its features, there were somewhat weaknesses in Radio24’s presentation.

I found it difficult, for example, to continuously stay focused. Two reasons, perhaps: the weak delivery by anchors who were reading from prepared scripts, or as the night show demonstrated, the indiscriminate mix of serious stuff and unfunny jokes.

In hindsight, for the daytime and night features, I think it would have worked better if Radio24 had pre-recorded the show, say, a day or two earlier, before airing it. Then the irrelevant bits could have been edited out.

Sound clips of historic events, too, would have made the show more interesting.

The four-month-old broadcaster should realise that, as an all news channel, it probably has the toughest job on the airwaves to keep its listeners locked on to its frequency.

TraxxFM’s Greenman and Navsta of The Wake Up Show were the only other deejays to give listeners something worthwhile to think about as the year closed.

“Pay more attention to your mental health and never be shy to seek the help of a psychiatrist or a friend when you need it,” was their timely reminder to the listeners for 2008.

Traxx101, on the other hand, had what I thought was a most inappropriate topic on New Year’s Eve: male circumcision (ouch!).

Although the doctor who spoke on the topic was excellent, and the deejay (Jezza) who interviewed him was just as good, it was not quite the right talk for the day.

I would have liked to hear a local writer recount the best movies for 2007. Now that would have been a fun and fitting topic for the special day, don’t you think?

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE APPEARED AT NO 2 UNDER THE MOST VIEWED SECTION OF THE STAR ON THE SAME DAY THAT IT WAS PRINTED.

Poor Xmas Show

2008-01-07T01:26:00.000+08:00

News & Features Sunday January 6, 2008

No jingle all the way

AIR RAVES BY ANTHONY THANASAYAN

NOT normally an early riser, I was, however, up by 6am on the recent Christmas Eve. I did not want to miss any of the seasonal fare offered by our radio stations that day.

The morning rush hour seemed as if it would be supercharged with Christmas specials but as the hours wore on, it appeared that for most stations, it was a mediocre effort at best.

Lite fm, for example, had an interesting contest asking listeners to guess the type of gifts presented on the song The Twelve Days of Christmas which was fun to listen to.

But like many others, the broadcaster lacked consistency and a proper build-up to infuse listeners with the spirit and cheer before Christmas Day.

Believe it or not, Traxx fm opened up its telephone lines during the traffic show later that evening to talk about what makes a car sexy!

The show’s deejays, who usually have no short of great topics, should have come up with more timely and meaningful subjects. They could get people to talk about the true meaning of Christmas by reaching out to the needy, reading to the blind, visiting someone in hospital, etc. In short, how to be a Santa Claus!

The only radio station which I thought had done a better job in spreading good cheer was the Bernama-run Radio24. Its deejays were brimming with excitement from daybreak of Dec 24 to 25.

The station’s Tan Su Lin reported from a local children’s home on their festive celebration. Elsewhere, the 24-hour broadcaster gave an idea of how the occasion was being observed in neighbouring countries.

At the same time it did not neglect to cover news happenings in Malaysia and around the world.

It was refreshing to hear the words “Hari Krismas” and “Selamat Hari Natal” uttered repeatedly over Radio24, unlike many of the other Malay broadcasters which mentioned nothing during the times I listened in.

I was puzzled over why the homepages of Era, Xfresh and Sinar omitted to mention Christmas when the rest of the Airtime Management and Programming radio stations did.

Hot fm wished listeners “Selamat Hari Raya Korban” and “Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru 2008” but was mum about Christmas. Fly fm, on the other hand, had its deejays in Santa hats.

Does this mean that stations that were devoid of Christmas cheer on their homepages have no Christian listeners?

Where does that leave me? I listen to all of them. Have they forgotten that Christmas is a national holiday for all Malaysians?

This reminds me of an interview I heard on BBC World Service recently. An atheist was asked by the London station why she celebrated Christmas.

She replied that Christmas has become so commercialised that it isn’t only celebrated by Christians but by everyone.

“Although I reject the divinity aspect of the occasion, I accept the morality message behind it,” she said.

“I’m a great believer in Santa Claus,” she concluded.

Despite living in the cyber age, the writer insists that radio still provides a unique window on the world. When he isn’t scanning bandwidths, he helps to raise awareness of positive living with pets through his organisation, Petpositive (Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association).

Note: This article appeared under the Top 9 list of The Star's Most Viewed Pages on the same day as it was printed. aNt

Happy New Year 2008 From Air Raves!

2007-12-30T16:40:00.000+08:00

Sunday December 30, 2007
The Star, StarMag

The best and the worst

Air Raves
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

WE are at the tail end of another great year. Which means it is time to take a look back at some of 2007’s best and worst moments on radio.

The year started off disastrously for people in Johor. Two days of continuous rain sent a second wave of flood waters to many parts of the southern state.

Radio stations like Red fm (operated by The Star) and RTM’s Traxx fm offered invaluable help during the crisis. They not only provided the right information to the thousands of flood victims, but also guided listeners on what they could do to help.

I bet you were surprised (I was too) when I picked RTM’s Tamil broadcaster Minnal fm as the best radio station for festive programmes when the Chinese community ushered in the Year of the Pig.

They cleverly put up a midnight live phone-in session where Tamil-speaking callers were asked to share what Chinese New Year meant to them, especially when it came to open house visits.

Airtime Management and Programming’s Chinese broadcaster MY fm made a boo-boo when it aired an advertisement at the wrong time: during the final minutes of the midnight countdown. There must have been some red faces as the Golden Boar trotted in.

Three major entertainment events in the United States went virtually unnoticed by our radio stations.

The 64th Golden Globe Awards in January was carried live on Ntv7 and Astro. However Traxx fm’s world news update ignored the Globes even as it was proceeding on the other side of the globe.

The 49th Grammy Awards was the next to suffer in February. Missing on the airwaves were the airing of nominated tracks and singer profiles.

Similarly with the 79th Annual Academy Awards, also in February.

What I do not understand is that radio deejays talk about all three events constantly throughout the year. However, when it came to the big day itself, they sang a different tune.

Moving on, I praised Hitz.fm for being the station to come up with a worthy coverage of American Idol 2007 final as it was being broadcast from the US in May.

I chided deejays The Greenman and Navsta of Traxx fm for mentioning nothing about Idol. The boys defended their move in an e-mail response, explaining that it was not a priority for them because they believed that “the latest season was overrated and crappy”.

And now, the most memorable moment on radio in 2007:

It happened on June 5, a day after the death of Loganathan Arumugam of the Alleycats.

Traxx fm came up with a sterling tribute to the 54-year-old singer-flutist who was loved by many in the over three decades he was with the band. The mood was suitably sedate on The Wake Up Show helmed by The Greenman and Navsta that morning.

The two-hour session also had live crossovers to friends of the late performer, well-known personalities, top singers and even a chief minister.

For me, and probably hundreds, if not thousands, of listeners who tuned in that morning, the occasion was not only a memorable remembrance of a great Malaysian artiste but also listening to radio at its very best.

Happy 2008, everyone!

The Spirit Of Christmas On Radio

2007-12-23T18:03:00.000+08:00

Spirit of giving

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

News & Features STARMAG Sunday December 23, 2007

CHRISTMAS is never Christmas if you don’t share the special moment with others. LiteFM, for one, is embracing the spirit of sharing and giving in a meaningful way this Christmas – by getting Malaysians to donate presents to children in need.

From tomorrow until next Friday, listeners are invited to call the station and pledge a present to a special child under its Gift of Love programme. Four times a day the public will get the chance to make the contribution by picking from a list of gifts featured on www.litefm. com.my.

These good Samaritans will then be invited to LiteFM’s Christmas tea party at The Loaf in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on Jan 5. Here, they will be able to hand over their gifts to the children of a local charity home who will also be the guests at the event.

I can just imagine the joy on the faces of these young ones when they receive their special gifts!

Remember the recent Deepavali promotion where THR.fm literally gave a little “vroom-power” to listeners on their journey home to celebrate the festival?

Well, following its success, another Airtime Management and Programming radio station will be doing the same for its loyal listeners.

In the just-concluded Christmas Sleigh Ride contest run by MIX fm, five winners will drive home with a Naza Ria each, on loan for up to seven days, during these yearend holidays to any local destination.

In addition, they will enjoy a paid trip courtesy of the broadcaster, which is covering petrol and toll charges plus RM1,000 cash.

First, the contestants had to fill in the missing words of a Yuletide song aired by MIX in the quickest time possible. Those who made it then battled each other in on-the-ground Xmas competitions organised by the radio station.

They were indeed made to sweat for the “free” ride!

Finally, Christmas is not Christmas also if not for the Nine Lessons and Carols from the chapel of King’s College in Cambridge, Britain.

The 90-minute choir presentation, which includes selected readings from the Bible, is broadcast live by BBC World Service radio every year.

For those who want a traditional feel to the season, you can tune in to the Christmas Eve feature at 11.15pm tomorrow (Malaysian time). Please check The Star’s daily guide for radio frequency details.

Merry Xmas!

Memorable Disabled Day Celebration On TraxxFM

2007-12-16T15:36:00.000+08:00

101 on the disabled

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

The Star, Sunday, Dec 16, 2007

DID you know that there are 650 million disabled people around the world today? And that this number more than qualifies them as the largest minority on this planet?

And what about the fact that 80% of all persons with disabilities (PWDs) live in developing countries like ours?

In fact, in nations where the life expectancy crosses 70 years, individuals spend on average about eight years – or 11.5% of their lifespan – living with handicaps?

These vital statistics are from the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland, and the United Nations Development Programme in New York.

They were shared on Traxx fm recently to mark the International Day of Disabled Persons (IDDP) on Dec 3.

That was the day I tuned in to Traxx 101 on the RTM English-language broadcaster, which airs weekdays from 10am to 1pm. The station has commendably been promoting the yearly UN event on-air.

On the day itself, Traxx 101 regular hosts Jezza and Najee made the occasion memorable for their listeners.

Najee played songs from a host of disabled artistes, like Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing by Stevie Wonder. He also gave a quick rundown of the blind singer’s many hits from the 1960s to 1986.

Another splendid selection was The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me by Teddy Pendergrass. The singer has been confined to a wheelchair and speech-impaired after a car crash 26 years ago.

However, what I appreciated most was the 10 minutes dedicated to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The composer, Traxx 101 noted afterwards, was deaf when he wrote the piece. He also had asthma.

Fellow host Jezza too had a few surprises for listeners.

The deejay who has had some exceptional guests on his daily interview shows did it again on IDDP. He got a group of harmonica players from the Malaysian Association of the Blind in Kuala Lumpur to perform several numbers “live” in the studio for Traxx fm listeners.

The group’s best take was the William Tell Overture (most famously used as the theme for the old TV western The Lone Ranger).

I was spellbound by the amazing harmony produced by the musicians who relied fully on their hearing to create the glorious music with their mouth organs.

After the harmonica performance, Jezza did what he is good at: conduct an interview with some of his guests on what it felt like to be visually impaired.

It was not all fun and play, though.

At one point the programme spoke to a local activist in a wheelchair about the job problems faced by disabled Malaysians today. Employment was the focus in line with this year’s IDDP theme, “Decent Work for PWDs”.

Finally, kudos to RTM’s Tamil broadcaster Minnal fm for also conducting a one-hour interview session on IDDP. Their guests were members of the Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor.

Air Raves Malaysia

Air Raves final run in The Star on Dec 31, 2008

Wednesday December 31, 2008

New year wishes on air

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Ads by Google

LiteFM goodwill

Wednesday December 24, 2008

Lite FM spreads seasonal goodwill

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Capital Countdown Chart Toppers

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Chart toppers on Capital Countdown

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Gegar No 1

Thursday December 4, 2008

THR Gegar is number one on the East Coast

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Welcoming the Year of the Ox

Wednesday November 19, 2008

Ushering in the Year of the Golden Ox

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

New programme on Capital FM

Wednesday November 12, 2008

Capital FM launches new programme

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Sinar makes a difference

Wednesday October 29, 2008

Sinar FM is making a difference

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Diwali shopping

Deepavali shopping spree

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Treat for football fans on Capital FM

Wednesday October 15, 2008

Capital FM treat for footie fans

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Raya cheer on radio

Wednesday October 8, 2008

Spreading the Raya cheer on radio

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Festive mood for Raya

Wednesday October 1, 2008

Getting into the festive mood

AIR RAVES WITH ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Listeners in for a treat

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Treat for listeners

AIR RAVESBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Merdeka Mania

Merdeka mania

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Not Up To Mark On Olympics

Wednesday August 27, 2008

Poor coverage

Air Raves:By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Happy 10

Wednesday July 30, 2008

Happy 10

AIR RAVESBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Hallo Good Morning on 988

Wednesday July 23, 2008

Fun show

By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

New And Improved

Great Way To Spend Your Day

Tasty New Show

Wednesday July 2, 2008

Tasty new show

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Noon Delight

Wednesday June 25, 2008

Noon delight

Air Raves by ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Noon Delight

RED'S HOT

Wednesday June 18, 2008

Red’s hot

De-Stress With May

De-Stress With May

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

AIR RAVES
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN