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

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?

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!

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 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

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Confronting Cancer

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?

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.