So much has happened in the more than two decades since, and CapeTalk has kept Capetonians company through it all: the Planet Hollywood bombing and urban terror campaign in the late 90’s; the crumbling of the twin towers after the 9/11 terror attacks; the Sizzlers massacre; the 2010 Fifa World Cup; the passing of Nelson Mandela; the 2018 water crisis and – most recently – the eerie emptiness of lockdown streets and schools during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But updating listeners on the latest developments locally and globally is only part of CapeTalk’s mission. After all, talk radio is synonymous with the spoken word. Expressing views and sharing ideas are the lifeblood of the medium. But to do so in a meaningful way requires constant research, self-reflection and being attuned to the world 24/7. Dedicated producers and successful talk radio hosts will tell you everything has the potential to become content. It’s not only the story on the front page of the newspaper that people want to talk about. It’s often the more personal and mundane moments they are eager to share… an upsetting encounter with a loved one, a funny moment in the traffic or an unusual interaction while queueing to pay for groceries.
CapeTalk reports and reflects on the big news stories of the day while also keeping its finger on the pulse of all the thorny, big, funny, tetchy, divisive, saucy, local, sensitive, interesting, brave and challenging discussions being had… on the air, in the home, on social media and at the office.
At a time of national introspection - in the face of ongoing graft and parastatal plundering - the station continues to be a reliable news provider, a companion AND a source of respite from the stark reality of daily life in the age of SA state capture.
That’s no small feat.
The station’s dedicated team of producers, hosts, engineers, marketers, online editors and writers are committed to telling an array of stories to meet the multiple needs of our audience.
CapeTalk recently stopped simulcasting daytime shows with 702, partly to better focus on the many issues facing Capetonians.
At the same time the station continues to publish interesting articles and podcast engaging interviews to drive its growing digital audience. We continue to innovate by expanding our multi-media broadcasting capabilities, most recently with our Big Breakfast Broadcast series hosted by Refilwe Moloto. This monthly show focuses on only one theme and in what was a terrestrial radio broadcast first - incorporating FB live, video, zoom and onscreen digital content.
Now in our birthday month, CapeTalk’s vision remains clear: to cover this Mother City in such a thorough way that the station becomes THE place to go for all your Cape Town news, developments, entertainment, politics, crime, traffic and opinions.
We look forward to joining the conversation with you for another 23 years.
All CapeTown, CapeTalk - 567 on the AM frequency, Channel 885 on DSTV
