With the rise of podcasts and digital streaming platforms, there has been much debate about the continued relevance of traditional radio. Media personality Tbo Touch, whose real name is Thabo Molefe, recently spoke out about the impact of radio on the entertainment industry.
Radio’s Role in Breaking New Music
Tbo Touch recounted how artists frequently contacted him when they were preparing to release new music, and how radio airplay often proved to be a successful strategy. “I’ve been hearing these conversations about radio is dying, radio is dead,” he said during his show on Metro FM. “Let me tell you something, anybody who thinks radio is dying or radio is dead when Sjava dropped this track he called me, when Mass Country came out AKA called me.”
The Power of Radio over Digital Platforms
Tbo Touch emphasized the unique power of radio to promote new music in a way that digital platforms like iTunes and YouTube cannot match. “Any artist, when they’ve got a new song, iTunes cannot do what radio will do to your career. YouTube will not do what Metro FM will do to your career. The sole purpose of radio jocks is to break records in a way that AI or any streaming cannot do,” he said.
Radio’s Enduring Influence
Despite claims that radio is dying or dead, Tbo Touch argued that the medium remains a powerful force in the entertainment industry. “And a lot of people saying radio is dying, radio is dead. I know a lot of DJs that radio didn’t even make them. No platform makes you a star. If you are born a star, you will be a star regardless of the platform, but understand the power of this medium. We co-sign tracks. When I put my name on Sjava, he’s going to go triple, quadruple platinum, because we are co-signing it. The biggest show is co-signing a song,” he said.