It’s designed to operate through a unique device installed in taxis that streams content at no cost to the audience in the taxis, aiming to tap into the commuter market while they queue in taxi ranks and travel in taxis.
The station is currently available in 1 000 taxis in eight major ranks in Gauteng, reaching 840 000 taxi passengers per six-day week. According to Massiv Metro, over the last eight months, the radio station has gained support and interest due to the line-up of DJs and presenters, local music content, and engaging, meaningful content that listeners can relate to.
Massiv Metro aims to include free streaming on cell phones nationwide, with zero rating from cellular partners in year two, and a nationwide rollout with replication through Africa in year three.
Faith Mangope, head of programming of Massiv Metro and former anchor on eTV’s Sunrise show, is the key driver behind the programme planning for the station.
"Taxi commuters include people from all walks of life, students, workers, executives, mamas and gogos, male and female, old and young. The one thing they all have in common is purpose," says Mangope.
"They are going somewhere, they have an objective in mind, and they are happening. We call them the ‘purpose market’ – and we are relevant to this market because we understand them; we use banter, language, and content that engages with mass market South Africa from community life to urban city dwelling," adds Mangope.
"Through accomplished and renowned DJs, the aim of Massiv Metro is to make our station rocking, real and relevant, and to speak to our audience in a way that will inspire them to fulfil their purpose for the day – seven days a week," says Mangope.
"Our content recognises that the commuters are intelligent, thinking, participating people. Our programming has to be rocking enough to make them ask the taxi driver to switch on. We strictly avoid presenting 'boring' talk," adds Mangope. "We tailor-make our programmes for our audiences."
Content covers topics of the day, sports, politics, economics, socio-economic issues, and more.
"It’s the DJs that make it all happen. They’re handpicked to be relevant to the market," says Mangope. "Every one of them is popular – across age groups, economic lines, colour lines, and international borders. They’re articulate and entrepreneurial. They need to be. People from all over Africa, even Europe, must be able to identify with them."
The line-up includes DJ Sbu, who is a media personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who offers bursaries and mentorship to learners and is a major partner in the station's founding team.
Following him are Dali and Sonia with the WOKE show from 09:00. Fats and Mgedeza take the lunchtime slot with Taxi 1223 GP, a show that focuses on comedy and 'speaks and does everything township'.
This is followed by Sello Motau – a former taxi driver and established radio DJ. Thembi starts off the five-hour Drive at 15:00, and award-winning musician Zola takes the JAMPAS show in the 17:00 to 18:00 slot, alongside South African actress and comedian Lihle Msimang.
On the Mark is a special soccer programme featuring Mark Fish and SuperSport presenter Motshidisi Mohono, together with celebrity guests, which covers both local and international soccer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11:00 to noon. The show is a joint venture with Soccer Laduma, which also includes soccer news and views throughout the day – weekends and weekdays.
Weekends and late nights on the station feature line-ups with its DJs, as well as guest DJs, who aim to chat, entertain, engage, and play a range of music that covers urban hip-hop, kwaito, house, maskandi, mbaqanga, reggae, soul, and other African sounds.
"We have a team of perfectionists," adds Mangope. "It’s exciting to see the effort they put into their work, to witness them giving their best every day. They want to deliver; to have an impact and to change lives. We believe Massiv Metro can offer that platform."
Mangope says that the radio format allows for continuous testing of the programming content, with feedback monitored and analysed and programmes constantly evolving to stay aligned with what the commuter market wants.
The station uses social media for feedback, which aims to enable listeners to watch live recordings online to see what’s going on, for instance, on Instagram. The station has had positive feedback from places such as Turkey, New York, and UAE.
Listeners can tune in to Massiv Metro online or download the app from the Google Play store (Android) and on the App Store (iOS).
For more information, visit www.massivmetro.com or contact [email protected].