Alex Jay reflects on four decades in radio
Radio veteran Alex Jay recently sat down with podcast host Sias du Plessis, where the pair discussed his journey into radio, his love for music and broadcasting, and how artificial intelligence is changing the media landscape.
For more than four decades, Jacarand FM host Alex Jay has entertained, informed and educated South Africans, becoming a familiar voice on radio.
The veteran radio presenter was recently a guest on The Sias du Plessis Show, where he and Sias du Plessis spoke about life, radio and the growing influence of artificial intelligence.
Described by Sias as an icon, Alex reflected on his humble beginnings and his journey into broadcasting, sharing how his love for radio developed over the years.
"I was seven years old my dad, who was a passionate radio fan, loved all of the quiz shows, the game shows, all that kind of stuff on the old full-service radio, which used to be called Springbok. He arranged to go to a live recording of a game show at Commissioner Street SABC," recalls Alex.
"When the tickets arrived, there were four tickets, so he took a friend and my mom and me. And I went through, and afterwards we did the tour of the SABC, and I was blown away, dude. The first thing I saw was a lot of people walking around in lab coats...I was like, 'Ooh, this is serious,' you know?
"And then you just see the, the equipment and like flashing lights and patch cables and stuff. But the one that stuck in my head was... we're coming to this little glass window, and in there sits the continuity announcer for Springbok Radio and we look through the window. The dude's sitting there in a freaking three-piece suit, or it was an evening suit...I was aware that it could be a career."
'I was going to be a political journalist'
Before finding his place behind the microphone, Alex had aspirations of becoming a journalist. However, he eventually dropped out and took a different path - one that would ultimately lead him to build a career spanning more than four decades in radio.
"I was gonna be a political journalist. Oh, boy, oh boy," he says.
"I wrote for various papers, but I never completed a degree. I dropped out. I was horrendous.
"I was a hopeless student. Journalism seemed like the right thing at the time, but then I thought about it afterwards, you know, and I was like, okay, well, you don't really know yourself, so you're gonna study psychology... just read a bit more and talk to people."
Alex also opened up about some of the experiences that shaped his career and helped him get to where he is today. The pair also touched on the rapidly changing media landscape and the role technology now plays in broadcasting and everyday life.
Listen to the full interview below.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
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