Frequency Magazine_Talk Radio Issue Talk Radio Issue | Page 18

If you haven’t heard his name by
now, Google can help you out on
that one. The man who has become
a legend in his own right started his
radio career in 1990 when some of us
were not even teenagers yet; the first
time he went live on air was when
Metro FM was still called Radio Met-
ro. Pillay says that radio is what he
always wanted to do as he recalls
when he was still at school and being
a DJ at a popular club called Easy
by Night which sparked his interest to
be on radio. He remembers when his
dreams became a reality and finally
got behind the big microphone: “It
was 1990 on a Saturday night, mid-
night to be exact; it was ‘thee’ most
exhilarating, exciting & nerve wreck-
ing moment of my life – all wrapped
up in one but I also remember the
great feeling inside of me that un-
doubtedly confirmed – I was born to
do this.”
In terms of fondest memories and
the best of times, Pillay mentions
Metro FM (1990-1997) as the station
where he had the best times of his
life. Throughout his career, he has
managed to transition from music to
talk radio without a hiccup. “Music
radio hosts are comfortable working
with all the elements of sound, most
of the “good” ones know how to edit
sound, use it to set an emotional
tone, understand how sound affects
thought and mood. These skills are
a great asset when making the tran-
sition to talk radio,” shares Pillay. “If
you’ve worked in a music radio for-
18 Frequency Magazine
mat, you are in fact ahead of the
curve when it comes to launching
a talk radio career. You have a
range of interests and understand-
ing the time constraints of radio.
You have been schooled in the
basics and understanding of why
they are important.”
“A very important part of talk ra-
dio is to let people get to know
you in a very personal and pow-
erful way, the moral of the story
is that no matter your politics,
be unique, be yourself, create
your own style,” he adds. “Talk
radio hosts who think they know
everything about anything, and
the world in general are typically
great at debates. They have an
answer for everything, but as most
radio practitioners will tell you that
talk radio hosts or radio hosts in
general who think too highly of