"Without radio, you have lost a friend" - Veteran broadcaster John Berks
Radio veteran John Berks visited the Scenic Drive to talk about his life after a successful radio career.
John Berks (80) is a radio veteran whose career spanned over 40 years. Berks is also known as the original South African prankster.
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From an early age, Berks would listen to the radio at any opportunity that presented itself, spending hours perfecting the mimicking of great commentators, holding a tablespoon up to his mouth as he spoke, all while setting his mind on a career in radio.
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Through a series of coincidences, his lucky break finally came and he was employed by the fledgling commercial station LM Radio in Lourenco Marques (now Maputo).
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Pioneering modern radio in South Africa, he broke new ground in radio broadcasting through his hilarious parodies of situations, phone calls to unsuspecting victims, his 'characters' such as 'Jan Sweetpak' and others, his humour and development of talk shows and techniques used by many today.
Berks visited the Scenic Drive with Rian to talk about the radio.
"Radio can make a difference, and it is still making a difference. People come to radio to be entertained."
"Without radio, you have lost a friend."
Tune in to the 'Scenic Drive with Rian', weekdays from 16:00-19:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.
Image Credit: Jacaranda FM