WSU ALUMNI IS KEEPING RADIO RELEVANT IN PODCAST ERA

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Alumni, Ntombozuko Balintulo is keeping radio relevant in the Podcast era with ongoing achievements.

Balintulo, a presenter at youth radio station, TruFM, continues to inspire listerners across the country through her touching stories and enchanting voice, which saw an increase in the listenership of her show.  

Despite speculations that radio would lose its power due to the rise in podcasting, Balintulo maintained that radio was still a relevant, reliable and powerful medium of communication.

“Radio will survive. For me, what makes radio relavant is the conversations we have on the radio, the music, and how we are able to get the listeners’ response in real time. People get to share their experiences. Radio now has also gone digital, and people can listen to it even if not from South Africa,” said Balintulo. Her passion for broadcasting began right after high school when she joined WSU to study Versatile Broadcasting. A month into her studies she started volunteering at local radio station and quickly earned her own show.

Her big break came in 2023 when she started hosting her own show at TruFM following her major win in the station’s Tru Talent competition in 2022.

Despite the significant growth of podcasts throughout the world, Balintulo still believes there is no competition between the two, and both serve different audiences.

“Podcast is great and they explore into deep topics and some restricted to radio, however, we have also an advantage to that we can reach to anyone including those who are in rural areas who have no access to digital tools and data,” she said.

She further noted another advantages of radio which included a real time connection, and audience being able to connect with the presenter live on air.

 “Listeners can call in , share their stories and react to the music instantly ,that something podcast can`t always offer,” she explained.

Despite the undying love for radio, just like in any other carreer, Balintulo mentioned that it’s not always pleasant.

She said being behind the mic was challenging , especially on days when one goes through personal issues but still has to show up for work.

“It’s not always easy, but its never impossible, with that said, I would urge all those with a dream and passion in radio to never undersestimate starting small, and never be ashame to share their work in social media because in nowadays that is where talent is spotted,” she said.

She emphasised the importance of obtaining knowledge of the specific radio station one aspires to work in, stating that it provideed an added advantage in navigating its audience.

“If I was able to do it, I believe anyone can, a trick here is thatone needs to believe in themselves, have patience and have a teachable spirit and a vision,” she concluded.

BY: Siboleke Okuhle Mavango