East Coast Radio (ECR) has announced it is shaking up its weekend line-up with new changes.
The station has announced that Shaina-Rae Bauwens will be joining its on-air team as a new presenter on Saturday, 13 January.
The station says Bauwens will host the 14:00 to 17:00 slot on Saturday and Sunday.
The 25-year-old’s radio career began in 2017 when she was a guest host on ECR’s Breakfast Show, and she returned to the show in 2023 for another guest appearance.
Bauwens says the experience ignited her passion for radio.
“It was phenomenal. It was really cool to be on the show. We had great banter and lots of fun. It was a great learning experience. As a listener, you think it’s just pushing play to a song and then talking. There’s a lot more to it, but it’s fascinating,” says Bauwens.
Bauwens, who was born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, is looking forward to building a special relationship with weekend listeners.
“My fondest radio memory growing up was feeling like I had a personal relationship with every single radio presenter, even though I had not met them before. Driving in the car and listening to them to school and from school, you feel like you know them. I really want to connect with listeners,” Bauwens adds.
The announced that it is also bringing listeners more Breakfast in 2024 with the introduction of a new 17:00 to 18:00 weekend time slot. The Best of Breakfast will feature highlights from East Coast Breakfast with Darren Maule, Sky Tshabalala, and Carmen Reddy.
The hour-long show will include 40 minutes of non-stop music.
ECR’s programming manager, Travis Bussiahn, says, “It will feel like a Breakfast hour, jam-packed with the best moments from the weekday show.”
Bussiahn adds that the station has many exciting things planned for listeners in the new year.
“Shaina-Rae will bring great energy to the weekend, and I am confident she will resonate well with listeners. The addition of the Best of Breakfast time slot will also help shake things up on the weekend. We are focussed on being here for you, our listeners, more in 2024 — more Breakfast, more music and more amazing content. This is just the beginning of what we hope will be an amazing year for our on-air team,” concludes Bussiahn.
Listeners can listen to Bauwens’s first show on Saturday on the FM spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio. You can also listen via the ECR App (iOS/Android), on www.ecr.co.za/shows/listen-live and via the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836. Stay tuned after her show for the premiere of Best of Breakfast from 17:00 to 18:00.