Tebogo Pooe, founder and chairperson of You FM, while speaking to IOL Entertainment, has addressed the allegations of chaos at the North West radio station.
“Chaos at You FM. Management personnel at the North West radio station have vacated their positions. Several individuals are said to have quit.
“This has inevitably led to the future of most of the talent that was brought in beginning of the year being uncertain at the station,” reported Entertainment commentator Phil Mphela.
YOU FM was launched in 2019 and was once known as North West FM. However, the black owned Motswako Media Group won the rights from ICASA to change the name of the station and leave its “unsavoury reputation” behind.
North West FM was no stranger to controversy with it being frequently off-air and in financial trouble.
Addressing the allegations, Pooe explained that he was trying to understand why management is being blamed for the exits of staff.
He confirmed that two people from management have vacated their positions and that it was upon mutual agreement.
One on-air talent Josi Chave had publicly announced that he left the radio station to focus on his music label, African Noise.
BREAKING NEWS:
— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) December 4, 2023
Chaos at You FM
Management personnel at the North West radio station have vacated their positions.
Several individuals are said to have quit.
This has inevitably led to the future of most of the talent that was brought in beginning of the year being… pic.twitter.com/PJ8SntyzyW
“There are only three people who left, so I'm not sure when they say people are leaving. I saw that thing(tweet) and I was thinking when did the departure of three people constitute an exodus?” Pooe told IOL Entertainment.
Digital content producer Lesang Tshoke retweeted Mphela and said; “YOUfm has caused an insurmountable injustice to a lot of radio talent in South Africa.
“Uprooting various talent from their JHB homes, where some of their careers were peaking; with empty promises, toxic environments and remuneration squabbles is enough to put a damper on anyone’s love for radio.
“The powers that be at that station need to answer to not being able to or even qualified - in some instances - to run a successful radio station business.”
YOUfm has caused an insurmountable injustice to a lot of radio talent in South Africa.
Uprooting various talent from their JHB homes, where some of their careers were peaking; with empty promises, toxic environments and remuneration squabbles is enough to put a damper on… https://t.co/p7ydf0CSGz
Pooe shared that he was not sure what was meant by “empty promises” and explained further that the situation following the two managers’ departures is being addressed by himself as the head of the organisation.
“We are addressing the situation. Two managers have left; I am here on a full-time basis as the head of organisation to basically ensure that we continue the change of building this young brand of ours that we have.”
According to Pooe, the two left on mutual agreements, and from where he is sitting there is no animosity between the parties.
He expressed that he is unaware of who Tshoke is and has no record of this person knowing anything that is internal that's happening.
“I don’t know this person, they have never worked here, I have no record of this person knowing anything that is internal that is happening.
“I don’t know who this person is and what they are basing their allegations on, which in my view are very wild. What is he basing them on, because I have no record of them being a member in our organisation?
“We have no record of him, he has never worked here at all. So what are the bases of those statements?”
IOL Entertainment has reached out to Tshoke. We are yet to receive a response.
Pooe was frank that the station has experienced difficulties as many other organisations. “We've had a cash crunch, but we are implementing measures to address that.
“We are making some wins. Like all other businesses, Covid was not kind to our cash flow. I know that it’s been two years since but we are among the few organisations that did not reduce salaries or retrench staff.
“I guess it’s Covid sins are keeping up with us but we are implementing measures to finally address these things.
“We are here at the radio station, with my execo full-time addressing the problems and building our four-year-old brand.
“This thing is still new, only four years and in that time we have made impressive inroads, we have really grown quite nicely. These are just teething problems that every growing brand will experience.”
IOL Entertainment