Watch out SABC, #TouchCentral’s coming: Cliff
|Published
Tbo Touch and Gareth Cliff announce #TouchCentral Tbo Touch and Gareth Cliff announce #TouchCentral
"I feel like I've met somebody I should have met a long time ago," Gareth Cliff said, referring to media personality and entrepreneur Thabo "Tbo Touch" Molefe.
During an interview with IOL, Cliff explained that even though both he and Molefe worked at the SABC, they hardly saw each other.
"We actually didn't really have any interaction at all. I mean we definitely knew about each other but we didn't meet up in the corridors and have a chat or anything."
Touch Central is launching on Monday August 29, along with the Touch Central app and website.
He says that they designed the app to have all the necessary features: a live listening feature, information on different shows, the line-up and everything a listener of a modern era, digital context radio can expect.
Speaking of what Touch Central means for Cliff Central, he says that it remains what it has always been: one of the biggest content hubs in Africa and South Africa.
"We've always been about mostly talk. Touch Central will be music and talk radio online. It will focus on an array of things and it will have music and personalities."
He mentions that the show will appeal to an audience they may not have been reaching, and that if people are going to listen to something, and it's online, they are spending their data and therefore expect good value for their data.
He vowed that Touch Central is going to exceed all expectations.
"You know Touch is a very well-connected individual, so listeners can expect exclusive international interviews and many more surprises."
READ: #TouchCentral: Un-Touchable. Uncensored. Free!
The show goes live on September 1.
Cliff could not help but sing Molefe's praises, aying: "Touch appeals to a different market and audience and his people have missed him. "I love him; he's like a lightning rod. He just comes up with brilliant ideas when he speaks, he's a real mover, people like him, and he's got a good heart."
He declares - very strongly - that Touch will “blow” everyone away and definitely "chop" other radio station's ratings in half.
“We expect to chop the listenership (of competitiors) in half across the board, and SABC will probably be the worst affected.
"I am not being nasty," he adds and also mentions that it is not personal, but "the audience needs variety and while we will always do our best to support our local music, the world is bigger than ‘just us'."
Touch's show is going to have a lot more music (compared to Cliff's) but they will not have quotas “and stuff” because they don't have to follow anyone's rules.
"Everything is digital these days, and the only reason radio has survived - and I say this as a lover of radio - is because people get in their cars, there's a radio and really there’s nothing else to do. Now, that is not a good enough reason for something to be popular."
So, all TouchCentral wants to do is give people what they want to hear - in the most innovative way possible.
• The launch will be live on air on August 29. It may be a whole day event, with a launch, networking session and tutorials from Touch to educate the listeners about online radio and whats in it for them.