Metro FM responds to ‘ #UnathiGate ‘ and other matters

PRESS STATEMENT

22nd May 2013, Johannesburg.

METRO FM Station Management would like to address two unfortunate programming incidents that have happened
on-air in two of our shows respectively, ie. The First Avenue as well as the The Touch Down Show. The stance that we
as a station are taking on both the issues is as follows:

OPEN LETTER TO UNATHI MSENGANA

An open letter addressed to the host of METRO FM’s First Avenue breakfast show Unathi Msengana has been doing
the rounds on social Networks and this particular letter is now in the possession of the station. It is written by a
clearly disgruntled listener of the show and we as a Station hold the contents of the letter in high esteem. Each and
every listener of any of our Show’s on METRO FM is respected and appreciated by the station, hence our stance.

We would like to request that the public at large, our audiences as well as the media allow us as the Station’s Management
to investigate the strongly worded letter and the contents thereof accordingly. Over and above that allow us the time
to engage our presenter Unathi Msengana on her views and outlook in the matter at hand, after which we will make our
findings as a Station known accordingly. We trust that our request will be viewed favorably.

UNSAVORY INTERVIEW ON “THE TOUCH DOWN” SHOW ON 21st May 2013

As of today, the entire team of the Touch Down Show will not be scheduled on-air until further notice by Management.
Yesterday afternoon the team unfortunately conducted an interview which was a clear contravention/transgression of
Radio Policy. The interview was regrettably that of explicit nature which is an unfortunate violation of our mandate.
We are a station that informs, educates, entertains and that operates within strict confines of Broadcasting
Regulations and we intend to do just that in a professional and respectful manner.

Please note that team has not been suspended, but are merely not scheduled until we have gone through our internal
processes and procedures. A decision will then be made following the findings of the investigation and we will then
communicate these accordingly. Once again, we request that the public, our audiences, as well as the media allow
us as a station to manage this process the best way we can and revert back to you once this is complete. We trust that
our request in this regard will receive your favorable understanding.

METRO FM, its where you’re at!

Bieber, Bon Jovi and the SAMAs – A busy week in entertainment

What’s good friends? It’s Monday morning in my part of the world and it’s going to be a mad busy week. Why? Well here’s a little breakdown of what is crackening this week:

1. The 19th annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs) brought to you by MTN. It all goes down in Sun City this coming Friday and Saturday. Friday focuses on the technical, behind the scenes awards. Now this part of the weekend isn’t televised, but it’s fun and an important night too. I will be there and I’ll bring you some pics, news and highlights from that ceremony.

Saturday evening is the big show. Here’s a list of some of the performers expected to take to the stage:
Dr Thomas Chauke
Zozo
Sangre Superbeat
Toya Delazy
Kabomo
Zonke
ChianoSky
DJ Zinhle
Reason
Proverb
Desmond and the Tutus
The Muffinz
Lira
Vetkuk & Mahoota

Guest presenters include Menzi Ngubane, Sophie Ndaba, Zolisa Xaluva, Thami Mgqolo, Rapulana Seiphemo and Tsholo Monedi. Who will be the big host? The big winners? Find out on Saturday by checking out the live broadcast on SABC1 or follow my tweets (@JasonVonBerg) for details.

2. If the SAMAs aren’t your vibe then maybe Bon Jovi is. The legendary band will be rocking out at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday evening. Bummed to be missing it, but hey the SAMAs have called and I shall answer

3. Justin Bieber! Arguably the biggest name in entertainment at the moment kicks off his first South African tour this coming Wednesday in Cape Town. This will be massive and already Bieber fever has reached a level that nobody can control. If you’re going to be at the CT gig, let us know what it’s like. Oh and moms and dads, best you be getting your earplugs sorted ahead of the performance… we’d hate for you to be left hard of hearing afterwards. Sunday evening Jozi gets its chance to see the Biebs. I’ll be there, sadly sans the video camera because Bieber’s camp doesn’t allow for that, but I’ll be snapping some pics for the occasion.

4. Mother’s Day. Don’t forget to shower your mums this Sunday. A good breakfast, a lovely brunch, a delicious dinner… Some nice flowers, a few gifts and lots of love and you’re well on your way to being the kid ever!

Related articles

• Elvis Blue to open for Bon Jovi (jasonvonberg.wordpress.com)
• Van Coke Kartel to open for Metallica (jasonvonberg.wordpress.com)
• How good are the MTN SAMA goodie bags? (jasonvonberg.wordpress.com)
• The A-z of Mtn Sama 19 (jasonvonberg.wordpress.com)

Hanging with Nicole Fox in Lagos, Nigeria

HANNES DANZFUSS, hair & make-up: LYN KENNEDY

When I hear the name or read about Nicole Fox (or Mansour now) I think about the larger than life radio and TV personality. She rocked the early mornings on national station, 5FM for a number of years before cracking the big time in the evenings. She became a household name in the country and everyone loved her.

On a personal note she (next to only three others) is the reason why I do what I do. She studied at Rhodes University; she worked on the station I’ve always longed to work for and she became a well-known and respected entertainer in the local industry. So you must imagine how bummed I was to hear that she was moving on a few years ago, but like much in life change is a guarantee and it’s often for the best – and for Nicole it was exactly that. After getting married, the star and her hubby packed their bags and headed up to Lagos, Nigeria to begin their new chapter. Fast track almost five years later (already) and the star is still rocking it up in one of Africa’s busiest cities.

While I was up in Lagos, I got to sit down with Fox to find out more about her exciting adventure up in West Africa.

JVB: Nicole welcome to JVB Online. Let’s get straight to it, tell me about the last five years and this crazy adventure of yours:

Nicole Fox: First of all I can’t believe it’s nearly five years in May. It’s been such an adventure. It’s been totally exciting. It’s been a complete diversion in my life. I never would’ve guessed that this would’ve happened to me, but then again I did make the choice and it has been absolutely the right thing for me. It has been crazy, it’s been frustrating. I’ve so many challenges of the stupidest things. I have learned a lot and I’ve grown as a person. I’ve had a great time.

JVB: How best would you describe Lagos?

Nicole Fox: Lagos is a bustling, heaving, throbbing, crazy city. Its none stop and someone kind of described it well. It’s like an assault on your senses. It’s noisy, it’s smelly, it’s bright it’s hot it’s humid. The elements are pretty harsh, but for that reason alone it’s crazy. Totally chaos but yet it operates on its own system and once you figure that system out, man you move and you shake.

JVB:I’ve just used the term “just now”. When last did you hear that?

Nicole Fox:  (Laughs) You’re not going to believe this but I actually caught my husband saying now-now recently. “Ja, I’ll come and do it now now” and I was like what? I thought to myself I have totally converted you man.  It only took four or five years (laughs). He’s an honorary South African now.

HANNES DANZFUSS, hair & make-up: LYN KENNEDY

JVB: Tell me a little more about your current projects…

Nicole Fox: Well basically my current project first and foremost is my family. So that is what this chapter in my life is all about. I was quite clear that that is what I wanted, that was my priority to create a family. So my number one priority is my son Deen, who is now thirteen months old. He’s the light of my life, he’s just amazing and my husband and I have such a blast with him. He’s so cool, so much fun and we’re absolutely loving it.

Hear more from Fox and what she has to say about being a mom and also what she’s working on.

JVB: You head home as often as you can but there must be a few things you really miss about SA?

Nicole Fox: What do I miss most about South Africa? First and foremost it would have to be family and friends. It such a cliché answer but when you’re away from them you really miss them. Number two would have to be oh my gosh, it’s so beautiful. I miss the trees, the beautiful weather, the blue skies, the Gauteng sunset and the thundershowers. Oh I miss it so much. And then of course I have to say I miss Woolworths (laughs).

JVB: What do you miss specifically?

Nicole Fox: Everything. I miss being able to walk into a store and have quality products available like that. I really miss rusks. I cannot buy buttermilk here. A friend of mine recently decided to conduct an experiment and posted a Tupperware of homemade rusks from Cape Town. He took my address and we thought that’s it. It would never reach. Twenty days later it arrived at my door. Can you believe it?  Needless to say I scoffed all of them in its entirety in two days. Deen loves rusks (laughs).

JVB: It’s only five hours to Lagos from Johannesburg. If anyone is heading up to the city, what three could they do when they come to Lagos?

Nicole Fox: Coming to Lagos I would say that the number one thing you should do is to arrange on a Sunday a day out to the beach.  A day out at the beach is just amazing. There are untouched beaches, palm trees everywhere. It’s beautiful and an absolute must-do. So chat to your hotel, your guest services about doing that. The other for tourists to do would be a visit to Leki Market, which is a wonderfully huge market with lots of West African crafts, trinkets, beautiful textiles, beads – and it’s all negotiable. The one thing you have to learn in Lagos is to negotiate.

Click here to hear more

The other thing about Lagos is it functions very much by word of mouth. You really need to speak to people, ask them where to go because there are gems but you have to find them.  So don’t take it

Can’t get enough of Nicole Fox? Keep up to date with her by following her on Twitter: @OnlyNicoleFox.

We hope she’ll be back in the country soon, doing what she does best . We want that voice on radio again

Marcel Desailly, Freddie L’junberg heading to SA

Soccer fans and Freddie fans will love this news. Heineken is excited to announce that they will be bringing football legends, Marcel Desailly and Freddie L’junberg to South Africa next week. The two will be here as part of Heineken Star Mansion launch. They’ll also watching the UEFA Champions League semi-final in an undisclosed venue in Johannesburg. I’ll be there to catch all the action, so check back here for details.

Full press release below:
HEINEKEN® BRINGS THE EXCITEMENT OF THE UEFA CHAMPIONSHIPS LEAGUE TO SA WITH TWO INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL LEGENDS

Cape Town, 15 April 2013: Heineken® has revealed that it will be bringing out two major football personalities, as part of its plans for the Heineken Star Mansion

events announced this week. Premiership legends, Marcel Desailly and Freddie Ljunberg will be hosting the launch event in Johannesburg on 23 April 2013. The events, which form part of Heineken®’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign, aim to bring the excitement of the world’s best club tournament to South Africans on their home turf.

Win 1 of 2 double tickets to the #5GumExperience ft The Kooks

Forget Bieber, Bon Jovi, Metallica and Rihanna folks because The Kooks are heading into town this weekend. The Brits are rolling in to be apart of the 5 Gum Experience. Tickets to this gig have got to be some of the most requested and yet rare things out there. The demand has been outstanding. A lot of you will know if you’ll be going through to the gig at a secret venue in Jozi and in Cape Town, but some of you might not have been successful in your attempts to win tickets. Cue the *sad faces* for many.

Well I’m here to help… I wish I could make all of your Mondays, but as I said these tickets are hard to come by. What I can do is give you the opportunity to win tickets to the gig in Jozi. Sounds easy enough right? Not so much… If you want to win you have to you have to:

- Be a fan of the band

- Someone who is desperate to see them.

- Someone who logged on to get your tickets to the gig as soon as the news was announced.

- Someone who really wants to be at the 5GumExperience.

I’m looking for creative ways to prove that you are one of two people deserving of a double ticket. You can:

- Sing one of their songs

- Record a message, (a video, voice note) and post it here or on YouTube and send me the link.

- Take a photo with your favourite 5 Gum flavours

- Post a FANtastic question to the band using the hashtag #5GumExperience

- THINK OUT OF THE BOX

If you’re up for the challenge drop me a comment in the section below or use the hashtag #5GumExperience in your tweets/ responses to me. I’d love to give you one of two double tickets to the gig and it would be rad to party with you.

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart coming to SA

Hollywood actors, Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart are heading out to South Africa next month. The stars will be out here to promote their new film, Olympus Has Fallen. Now if you’re a fan of either one of them and you live in South Africa, you’ll get the opportunity to hang out with them an an exclusive fan event courtesy of the good folks at Nu Metro.

The event is taking place at Montecasino on the 9th. R100 will secure you a ticket to see the film as well as to participate in a Q&A session with Gerard and Aaron.

The two will also be participating in a press junket and a premiere of the movie in Mzansi. Naturally my request has gone in and if all goes according to plan, I’ll be sitting down with them to discuss the film. More on that in the next few weeks, but for now check out the full press release below

Johannesburg, March 18th, 2013:  Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart, who will be visiting South Africa in April as part of a global tour to promote their new film, OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, will now also participate in an exclusive Fan Event at Nu Metro Montecasino.

 

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 9^th and will include a screening of their latest film; OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, followed by a Q&A session with Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart.

 

Tickets for this “hot-ticket event” will cost R100 per person and will include a Coke and Popcorn. Tickets will go on sale on Friday 22 March 2013 and will be available through numetro.co.za or at the box office at Nu Metro Montecasino. 

 

The event begins at 18:30 for 19:00 and the Q&A with Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart will take place immediately after the film.   

 

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN releases at Nu Metro Cinemas on April 12^th, 2013.

 

 

About the Film

When the White House (Secret Service code: “Olympus”) is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As the national security team scrambles to respond, it is forced to rely on Banning’s inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the president and avert an even bigger disaster.

 

The film stars Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart, as well as Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett

Serving two purposes: entertainment and fitness

If you’re a follower of my blog, you’ll know that I’m a follower, lover and avid producer of entertainment, music and lifestyle content. However, a lot of you might not know that recently I’ve invested a lot of my time and energy into all things fitness; triathlons, long distance swimming, road and trail running and to a lesser degree cycling. I guess the wiser you get, the more your priorities change and this is my new space.

So from now on this will be a balancing act of entertainment content and my drive to stay fit and healthy

Now yesterday I participated in yet another road run. I’ve competed in several races before, doing a 10km here, a 5km there but I needed to pick it up a bit. So I signed up for a 21.1km Deloitte Pretoria Marathon yesterday. Runners had the options of participating in the 10km, the 21.1km or the 42.2km run, which many of them used for the Comrades Marathon. Living in Johannesburg meant that I had to get up really early. When I got to the venue, it was packed. Go figure. The race started at 6am (yawn) and off we went. It was a little challenging maneuvering around the masses (being a fast runner and all, lol), but in retrospect it was a blessing. I didn’t know much about how to pace myself and this offered the perfect solution.

Although it was a grade 4 race; a pretty difficult one, the route was fantastic. It was a mixed bag of rolling hills, gradual downhills and can I just say the burbs of Pretoria are but pretty. I surprised myself by running at a very steady pace the whole way. I completed my first 10km in 54minutes and managed to finish the race in 1h54. Again, this being my first 21 I didn’t know if that was a good time or not, but apparently it wasn’t bad at all. Stoked.

In time, I’ll get more technical with pace, fitness, recovery etc, but that will come with experience and understanding fitness better. Next week I’m tackling another triathlon. More on that in the week, but next up on this site are the Academy Awards. Live blog, updates and more to follow.

Catch Beyoncé: Life Is But A Dream in Nu Metro cinemas

I was wondering when, where we would get to see this. Well here’s the answer. Beyoncé’s Life is but a dream will be shown in select Nu Metro cinemas from Friday 1 March to Thursday the 7th. Full press release below:

CATCH BEYONCÉ AT NU METRO CINEMAS FOR ONE WEEK ONLY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Johannesburg, 20 February 2013 – Multiple Grammy Award winner, entrepreneur and actress Beyoncé is the focus of an intimate feature-length documentary film releasing for one week only in select Nu Metro Cinemas around the country from Friday, 1 March till Thursday, 7 March 2013.

BEYONCÉ: LIFE IS BUT A DREAM, directed by the superstar, is a fusion of video that provides raw, unprecedented access to the private entertainment icon and her high voltage performances. Along with electrifying footage of Beyoncé onstage, this unique special looks beyond the glamour to reveal a vibrant, vulnerable and unforgettable woman.

Oscar Pistorius’ affidavit

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today to bring forward his application for bail. He is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. His version of what happened was read out in his affidavit by his lawyer Barry Roux. Read it below:

“I, the undersigned, Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius, do hereby make oath and state:

I am an adult male and a South African citizen with identity number [identity number redacted].

I am the Applicant in this application in which I seek relief from this Honourable Court to be released on bail. I respectfully submit, as I will demonstrate herein, that the interests of justice permit my release on bail. In any event, the dictates of fairness and justice in view of the peculiar facts herein warrant that I should not be deprived of my liberty and that I should be released on bail.

I make this affidavit of my own free will and have not in any way been unduly influenced to depose thereto.

The facts herein contained, save where expressly indicated to the contrary, are within my personal knowledge and belief, and are both true and correct.

The purpose of this affidavit is to provide the above Honourable Court with my personal circumstances and to address the allegations levelled against me (in so far as they are known to me), as well as to address the factors to be considered by the above Honourable Court as contained in Sections 60(4) to 60(9) of the Act.

I have been advised and I understand that I bear the burden to show that the interests of justice permit my release and that I am obliged to initiate this application. I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder, let alone premeditated murder, as I had no intention to kill my girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp (“Reeva”). However, I will put factors before the Honourable Court to show that it is in the interests of justice to permit my release on bail.

SABC 1 will air Tropika Island of Treasure season 5

Despite this morning’s tragic events, SABC1 has decided to go ahead with the new season of Tropika Island of Treasure. The show stars a whole host of South African celebrities including the late Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead allegedly at the hands of her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius.

Below is a statement from Vukile Madlala, who is the Publicity Manager for the channel:

SABC1 STATEMENT ON REEVA STEENKAMP

Johannesburg, Thursday 14 February, 2013

“As SABC1; we are deeply saddened by the tragic turn of events involving one of the players on our show, Tropika Island of Treasure Season 5. Our thoughts and prayers during these trying times are with the family and friends of the dearly departed Reeva Steenkamp. Tropika Island of Treasure is scheduled to start airing on SABC1 Mzansi Fo Sho this Saturday 16 February 2013, at 18h30.”

It’s a tricky situation because the show was filmed in Jamaica last year and nobody could have ever predicted this. So the money, production costs and TV scheduling time had all been finalised prior to this horrendous incident. It will no doubt be extremely hard for Steenkamp’s close friends and family to see her in the show for as long as she was in it.

My deepest condolences go out to her loved ones during this time. More on this story to follow.