F
IRST there was Gareth Cliff
who was suspended from
5fm after interviewing
“Jesus”. Then DJ Sbu was
sent packing from Metro
FM for promoting his
energy drink at the Metro
FM Awards.
And who can forget Phat Joe being
axed from Radio 2000 for making homo-
phobic comments?
South Africa has no shortage of jocks
being kicked off air, but up until recently
DJ Fresh has largely toed the line. Then
the popular radio personality found
himself under fire for using foul language
on air and his future in radio became the
talk of the town after he was suspended
from Metro FM.
But Fresh (47), fed up with the drawn-
outdisciplinary procedure, decided to
cross over to 947 where he now heads
upthe radio station’s drive-time show.
It’s the first time he’d been in hot
water at work, he says, but it’s not
the f irst time he’s said something out
ofline. “I have, at times, put both feet
in my mouth, but it comes with the
territory,” Fresh tells DRUM.
“Sometimes people buy into
your personality and if people
love you for pushing boundaries,
then that’s usually the reason they
may love me.
“But generally, I don’t misbehave.
“As a talent or a creative you tend to
push boundaries that management
doesnot often understand,” he contin-
ues.“Not everyone can manage talent.”
He’snot one to harbour grudges but
Freshfeels Metro FM didn’t handle the
matter well. He was suspended for say-
ing “msunery”, an adaptation of
theisiZulu profanity used to refer to fe-
malegenitalia. He’s disappointed he
wastaken off air “without a salary over
one silly word”, as he puts it.
“Metro FM dragged something that
could have been resolved in less than a
week, just to try and prove a point,” he
says. “If I was wrong, I didn’t mind
dealing with the consequences. But I feel
the consequences became too much.
“They were unhappy with the word I
used. If I needed to apologise, I should’ve
been given a slap on the hand and then
we move on. But it dragged on and they
lied saying I didn’t want to apologise, and
then only for the BCCSA (Broadcasting
Complaints Commission of SA) to come
back and say that the word does not ex-CHANGING
GEARS
DJ Fresh tells DRUM about moving on from
Metro FM and giving people hope with his new
show on 947 BY QHAMA DAYILE PICTURE: SHARON SERETLO