2019 Liberty Radio Awards winner, Hlengiwe Khumalo, chats to us about her successful radio career. She also shares a word of advice for aspiring producers.
I’ve been fascinated with radio since I was a child. I have fond memories of huddling around it with my family and listening to theatrical drama shows on the then Radio Zulu. I grew up listening to it, and I’m excited to be working as a radio producer for the afternoon drive time show, The Glenzito Super Drive.
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My career path has been filled with many jobs in the media industry. I’ve worked my way to where I am today by taking on many roles. Some of the job titles that I’ve had over the years are newspaper reporter, news reader, current affairs producer, field reporter and executive producer for various radio stations and shows. They all gave me the skills and experience I needed to become a radio producer.
I love being a producer for Radio 2000. Every interaction prior to me arriving at the office is a potential subject. My job requires me to be well-versed in issues that affect the listeners, exploring angles and sourcing interviewees to converse with on the identified issues. On a typical day, I research topics, source audio and go through the playlist to make sure that it corresponds with the content.
I was honoured to win at the Liberty Radio Awards. This was a career highlight because my years of hard work were finally being acknowledged. It is exciting to be awarded for something that I’m passionate about, and I’m looking forward to working even harder.
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My advice to aspirant radio producers is to be knowledgeable about various topics. You need to immerse yourself in as much information as possible, and that means reading and being observant. You also need to network and establish relationships with a lot of people.