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www.thevillagenews.co.za
2 September 2020
Surfing the Overberg airwaves with Pieter With up to 80 people sharing a kitchen, he very quickly learnt the importance of teamwork. “I also learnt to work quickly and efficiently,” he says, “and to cater for a variety of events. We could have up to seven weddings on the same day. You had to be at the top of your game for that kind of pressure.”
Writer Elaine Davie
L
isteners to local radio stations, first Whale Coast Fm and now Caledon Fm, will be familiar with the name and voice of Pieter van Aswegen, but perhaps not of what an adventurous life he has lived.
Right now, though, Caledon Fm is his main priority. He says people often ask, “You mean you have to go through to Caledon each time you present a programme?” Although this bilingual station has been running for some time in Caledon, it now has two other studios, one in Hermanus and one in Bredasdorp, as well as an OB (Outside Broadcast) travelling van, and it covers the whole of the Overberg. “To avoid this kind of confusion, we plan to change the name to the more generic Cfm,” explains Pieter, the station’s Programme Manager. “The station’s focus is on community participation – ‘From the community, for the community’, so it’s essential that the whole region is able to identify with it. In fact, we view it as a powerful tool for selling this area and for emphasising ‘local is lekker’. In these difficult economic times, we also try to showcase individual businesses, especially those in the building where we have our studio, the Village Square.” Encouragingly, Caledon Fm’s listenership is growing exponentially, both locally and world-wide, on their digital platform. According to recent independent figures they are reaching over 100 000 listeners in 206 countries, as well as 40 000 local listeners. “I think my greatest challenge, as programme manager, and the one that gives me the greatest satisfaction,” comments Pieter, “is to ensure that each programme that goes out is of the highest quality, that the presenters – there are between 17 and 20 of them altogether – are the best available and that the programmes are varied and interesting. Just because it’s local doesn’t mean it can’t be professional.”
Music, in all its forms, is an essential component of all the programmes, as is audience participation, he tells me, and topics range from current affairs, to the arts, agriculture, law, and many more. Pieter himself presents a daily drive-time programme, ‘Overdrive Home Brew’, during which he interviews a variety of interesting locals, as well as a Sunday afternoon classical music programme. Also broadcasting from Hermanus, Annette Jahnel presents a weekly current affairs programme called ‘Future Perfect’ in which she discusses sometimes controversial topics like the Hermanus Bypass, education or the economics of the area. On the other hand, Di Rattle’s programme, ‘Love Local Overberg’ is broadcast on a Saturday morning and focuses on entrepreneurial development, featuring inspirational stories from ordinary people who are making their small businesses work. Janet Marshall’s ‘High Noon with the Marshall’ covers community-based women’s issues and those of the elderly. Raphael da Silva of The Village NEWS has a new travel programme called ‘Fly with Me’ which is proving to be very popular, as well as ‘The Village News Hour’ on Tuesdays at lunchtime. Then, broadcasting from Bredasdorp,
Jan Greyling has two programmes, one covering legal matters and the other, agriculture and food production. A daily magazine programme broadcast from Caledon features a compendium of different topics. Of course, whether it’s broadcast from Caledon, Hermanus or Bredasdorp, the footprint covers the whole of the Overberg. As Pieter points out, there’s literally something for everyone. But, of course, Pieter’s passion for new challenges started a long time ago. Having grown up on a farm near Heidelberg in Gauteng, the oldest of six children, one thing he knew for sure – he didn’t want to be a farmer when he grew up. Although he hankered for the city lights, he is grateful for the many skills he learnt there, from fixing the tractor, to house painting and catering, most of which were to stand him in good stead in his future career. He was dragooned by his family into enrolling at the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) for a teaching degree. By the second year, he knew this was definitely not for him, so he dropped out and registered for a chef’s course. Almost immediately after qualifying he joined a company which provided a catering service for four universities, as well as corporate events and functions.
And when the pressure caught up with him, he decided to decamp to Belgium where for five years he was chef at a top Brussels restaurant. The next turning point in his life came unexpectedly one evening in 1994, when he and some friends attended a free outdoor concert in Brussels. Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela were performing. He picks up the story: “Hearing them, I was suddenly so homesick that as Miriam ended Pata-pata, from the back of the crowd, I shouted, ‘Vrystaaaat!’. “She invited me to come round to her dressing room and asked me what I was doing in Brussels. We chatted for a short while and then like a real grandmother, she gave me a big hug and told me to come back to South Africa. So I did.” (From Brussels to Hoedspruit! Excuse me?) You would have thought he’d learnt what it was like to work under extreme pressure. Apparently not. The opportunity presented itself for him to establish his own restaurant and run a guesthouse there. Once more, he became chief cook and bottle washer, and everything else besides. “It was only 40 km from Orpen Gate in the Kruger Park, so we were very busy; it was not a livelihood, it was an all-consuming lifestyle,” he remembers. “It was a beautiful part of the country, but the time came when it just became too much for me – burnout set in.” This time he decided not to leave South Africa, but to move to the opposite end of it. “I thought I would like to be within a radius of 100 km from Cape Town and when I visited Hermanus, I knew this was where I belonged. It was love at first sight. That was 23 years ago.” Because he
had always been interested in interior decorating, he got into the paint business, subsequently opening his own company called The Paintman, doing renovations and house painting, with a particular focus on special finishes like cement-crete and textured colour combinations. “I always think of Beatle, John Lennon, who was once asked what he wanted to be when he grew up and he replied, ‘Happy’. And that’s what I wanted, too. I had an income now, but I had always been keen on the idea of getting into radio. When I was offered the opportunity at Whale Coast Fm, I decided to give it a go. I quickly discovered this is what gives me a real sense of fulfilment and satisfaction,” he confesses. But being the workaholic he clearly is, he also runs an Airbnb in Sandbaai and has started an organisation called Stargazer Promotions which has arranged two open-air concerts, as well as the popular Whale Coast Whizz Quiz. As if he hasn’t got enough on his plate, he is currently Chairman of OAK (Overstrand Arts/Kunste), too. “I’ve learnt that it’s all about balance,” he says. “I love bingeing on Netflix, or simply doing nothing, and I make time for that, too.” But, of course, Pieter’s main aim at the moment is to take Caledon Fm to new heights. “Although most of us are just enthusiastic amateurs who give our time on a voluntary basis,” he adds, “the level of commitment as a team is fantastic. I love the great interaction we have with our listeners as well; it’s a real privilege and an indication of community involvement.” He also looks forward to implementing plans for future development. So next time you tune in to this enthusiastic Renaissance Man, give a thought to how he manages to keep all the balls in the air at the same time and say a little prayer that he will not be leaving the Overstrand anytime soon. Station programme details can be found on Caledonfm.co.za