The legacy of Capital Radio 604: a voice of freedom in apartheid South Africa
The documentary ‘Music Power: The Story of Capital Radio 604’, which chronicles the rise and significance of the trailblazing independent radio station that emerged in South Africa during the oppressive apartheid era, will make its premiere on YouTube with added footage and an opportunity to interact with fans as well as former staff.
Amidst a backdrop of censorship and governmental control, Capital Radio 604 delivered unbiased news and showcased music that was either banned or restricted by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) from 1979 until 1996.
Craig Johnston, the creator of the documentary, who is a fan of the station and not a professional filmmaker, shot the footage over five years, out of working hours, and said he finally completed it in 2019.
“The documentary was originally launched on December 26, 2019, on what would have been the station’s 40th anniversary, but it was a little rushed. The re-release is being done as a YouTube Premier… Tweaks have also been made to the documentary, not to change the story, but rather things like adding additional much-needed b-roll and tweaking audio levels,” he said.
What motivated Johnston to make the documentary was the fact that Capital Radio 604 had played an important role in radio in South Africa, but nobody seemed to remember the story.
“As time went on, the story was about to be lost forever as more of the old staff passed on, and so I wanted to create a record of this important radio station and its story for future generations to appreciate, but also for the generations who grew up listening to the station, who were not aware of the trials and tribulations that happened behind the scenes,” he said.
Johnston emphasised the significance of watching the documentary, stating that, “the station’s goal was to bring the real news to South Africans,” in a context where private radio stations were banned to control public perception.
Originating in the Transkei, a homeland established by the apartheid government for Xhosa-speaking citizens, Capital Radio 604 operated in a grey area.
According to Johnston, the station introduced a fresh broadcasting style to South Africa, characterised by slick jingles, audience-oriented presentation, and a pioneering approach to news delivery that has since been adopted by various media outlets.
“This style of radio then transitioned to SABC stations as the presenters and staff moved on to those stations in the later years. So did the style of news broadcasting. Capital 604’s News Style Guide, for example, is still used and taught today as a way to tell the news in an unbiased manner,” he said.
Johnston said the station played the banned/restricted songs that many times led to the launch of new bands like Juluka, who would only receive airplay on Capital 604 in the early days of the band.
Apart from the content, the station resonated with the public. It brought people of different races and communities together because it was all-inclusive, he said.
“How this impacted the listener was to open their eyes to what was going on around them and give them insights into communities they were not part of. It provided a radio station that did not cater to a specific race as the SABC stations did, but a station for everyone, in music, presentation style, and news,” he said.
The broader impact, according to Johnston, was when the staff of Capital 604 migrated to other stations. “They brought with them a far superior style of broadcasting that was then emulated all over, thereby significantly raising the bar on what was considered radio.”
Reflecting on the lasting legacy of Capital Radio 604, Johnston said when the staff migrated to other stations, they brought with them a far superior style of broadcasting that was emulated all over, raising the bar on what was considered radio.
He said the station closed down in 1996, two years after the country’s first democratic elections due to a decline in advertising as the very weak crackly Medium Wave signal still coming from the Eastern Cape struggled to compete with strong FM stereo.
Capital Radio 604 was relaunched by some of the original staff as a streaming station during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The station went from strength to strength, with more listeners getting hooked on the nostalgia and great music they remembered from their youth. While the people involved in the station relaunch have changed, the listeners have continued to grow.”
Alan Khan, who was one of the presenters, said when the station went on air on December 26, 1979, it revolutionised South African broadcasting. “Capital Radio 604 was a breath of fresh air the country needed.”
He said the station gave South Africans the opportunity to listen to something different that wasn’t part of the state infrastructure that the apartheid government was controlling.
“It also brought international voices, an international standard of broadcasting, and it gave young presenters based in southern Africa a chance,” he said.
Khan said these included legends like Treasure Tshabalala and Oscar Renzi. “Towards the latter stages, people like Lee Downs, Kenny Maistry, Robbie Naidoo, and myself had the absolute privilege and pleasure of starting our broadcasting careers at Capital Radio 604.”
He said the station played a pivotal role in launching the careers of people in the industry. “The fact that I lasted 30 years in radio after that was just an amazing thing. But I always think back with great fondness, nostalgia, and with some sadness because Capital laid the foundation of independent radio broadcasting and where we are today.”
Recalling how presenters started broadcasting from an old port captain’s house in Port St John’s, he said: “They would have to cross a river in a boat to get to the Port Captain’s house every day, and they went on air despite difficult circumstances and not the best quality transmission.”
Khan encouraged the public to watch the documentary because, despite the challenges the station faced, it still appealed to a target market and audience where many people will still remember the music, the people, and the community with a smile.
He said he got to meet and work with his heroes at the station, which embraced a family-style culture. “Capital Radio helped mould good broadcasters into great broadcasters. Many of us who moved into other radio stations took that with us.
“I often wonder if the Mandela administration did not shut down the radio station, how would broadcasting be today and how would Capital Radio continue to innovate and lead because it was, for its time, way ahead of the pack,” he said.
Another former presenter, Dave Guselli, who auditioned for the job after coming to South Africa in 1980, said the public was pleasantly surprised with the station, and it became a huge competitor to the SABC.
“I think the station was miles ahead of everything in the day. The content, the jingles, and the DJs. Quite a few jocks came out from the UK,” he said, adding that race did not play any role at the station.
Guselli, who worked for the station for 12 years before being poached by East Coast Radio where he stayed for 26 years, recalled when Capital Radio 604 did outside broadcasts in a caravan called the Capital Show Mobile.
“The police had to close the streets off. There were 2 000 people who came along to look through the window… We were like pop stars, rock stars.”
He said Capital Radio 604 did something that some radio stations do not understand these days, called one-to-one, which garnered loyalty in the listeners. “If I’m talking to a million people, every single one of those people believes I’m talking to them as an individual.”
Guselli said he was mentored by Stuart Lee, who taught him everything that he knows. “When I broadcast on any radio station and I’m freelancing all over the country at the moment, I take that with me.”
Currently presenting on 88FM Ballito, Guselli said he is loving the community radio station.
Johnston said the documentary is being re-released with extra footage in a special way that will allow everyone to watch at the same time live in real-time.
“Anyone who wants to be part of this collective viewing experience where they can chat with other fans and ex-staff members of the station while they watch the documentary should go to the YouTube link or https://www.capital604.com/documentary just before 12 noon on January 25, 2025,” he said.
karen.singh@inl..co.za