SAfm

General information

SAfm is the SABC's national English language public radio station with its headquarters at Radio Park, Auckland Park, Johannesburg. It was established in 1936 at the time of the creation of the SABC. It was first known as the "A Programme", becoming the English Service when the Afrikaans Service came into being a year later. In 1985 it changed its name again to Radio South Africa and, ten years later, to SAfm.

Up until 1995, it was known as a "full spectrum" radio station; news, information, music, art, drama, children's programmes, sport, etc. It was also the first station to introduce 'talk' format and current affairs programming (Radio Today etc). During the next 8 years, SAfm moved away from "full spectrum" broadcasting in favour of news and information, dropping drama and cutting back on music in favour of a live, 'talk show' format. Children & teenage programming had already been removed from the programme schedule at the birth of SAfm.

However, in 2006, the broadcasting governing body, ICASA, instructed SAfm to re-introduce both drama and children's programming which it has done.
SAfm draws its audience from LSM's 7-10. It's core listeners fall into the age bracket 35-49 (558 000 with a peak of 730 000 in 2003). The station has also actively sought a 'diverse' audience (currently 61% black vs 39% white).