Leslie McKenzie

My first audition, to take part in Your Programme Children for the SABC’s ‘A Programme’ ended within seconds of my starting to read the script in the producer’s office, when the 3 typists all stopped work and turned to listen. I dried, blushed, and rushed out . Mother was distraught!

I never lost the love of radio, and when Springbok Radio opened on 1st May 1950 I dashed home from school for the afternoon programmes for youngsters. During Army camp in my second year of national service I met a sergeant who worked at SABC and through him landed an interview for a post as audio operator. Four years and much practicing in the studios after hours got me an appointment as Announcer/Producer with the English Service of Radio South Africa as it had by then become. After five years with them and a year with Radio Good Hope a chance to go to Rhodesia popped up. I took it and spent 13 wonderful years with RBC.

Back in SA in 1982 I bought into a small recording studio in Jhb, largely making shows for Springbok, and in 1983 I was appointed to the staff of that station – as Programmes Manager. The position of Head: Springbok Radio cropped up 2 years later, and I could hardly believe that is so short a time I was running the biggest radio service in SA. But euphoria was short-lived: that same year 1985 the closure of the station was announced! From first day to last one I had been part of it. I was transferred back to Radio SA, then to Radio Jacaranda in Pretoria, and I finally moved back to Cape Town and worked in the video field. Back to SABC in 1988 to present ‘Talkabout’, one of the first phone-in talk shows in SA, which I did for over 6 years. The advent of SAfm lost many of us our jobs, but in 1995 the airwaves were opened to private enterprise and I started with Fine Music Radio. Initially as Programmes Manager, and then Station Manager, for 10 years.  What wonderful, exciting, dramatic and exhilarating years! And still never a dull moment… !