Paul Freathy

Izimvo is honoured to introduce Television Director, Producer, Voice artist and Radio DJ; Paul Freathy.

Since starting at Springbok Radio in the early days of South African radio, Paul’s illustrious radio career includes Radio 702, East Coast Radio, Radio Namibia and 5FM’s breakfast show with the legendary Alex Jay.

Paul is also well known for presenting Lotto, SABC news and Road 2 Riches as well as his work behind the camera as a highly respected director and producer.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/paulfreathy
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/paulfreathy
Location: Johannesburg

Paul was kind enough to answer the following questions:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: I suppose a friend would introduce me as the oldest … hardest working TV producer in the country! LOL! I have a bit of a reputation of being able to make things happen, and to be honest I am proud of it! I have been in TV for so long my personnel number at MNET was … 12!!!

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I am terrified of heights! But really, like can’t even walk over a bridge without sweat pouring down, and some totally uncool trembling!

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Beaches! I am a beach freak. My wife and I lived for a while in Seychelles and we spent almost everyday on a beach. I miss it terribly here in Johannesburg. I also enjoy quiet weekends away in the Magaliesburg. Quite often my wife and I pop off to a little pet friendly self catering place we know, cause our little mutt Chutney is a huge part of our family! She has to go too! (thank goodness she also loves beaches!)

Q: How would you describe your dream home and where in South African would you like it to be?

A: I know you’re gonna think this is real kitch …. but the dream home is a little simple place, down on the … Beach! Got to be around the South Coast somewhere cause I love it down there. Saw a lovely little “log cabin” down there a while ago that was up for sale and was dying to buy it! Maybe one day!

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South African Radio and Television

Q: You have worked for a number of South Africa’s biggest radio stations including Springbok Radio, Radio 702, 5FM and East Coast Radio. What are some of your fondest memories from the early years of South African radio and what would you say has been the greatest innovation in radio since you first started?

A: Radio years ago was the best. It had a magic to it, that we just don’t have now. Everything is so serious! I really enjoyed my early days at 702. We broadcast from the mountain in Garankua and it was like a 2 hour drive to get to the studios, but we had a pool up there, a lapa and we braaied over weekends WHILE doing our shows and had huge parties. It was such fun (I don’t think as much fun for the listeners as it was for us though!). In those early days there were no egos, we were all friends, having fun.

5FM was incredible too. I did news on Alex’s show, and even though we chatted and had fun every morning he was in Cape Town and Ian F, John Walland and I were in Jhb! It was chaos every morning, all morning!

I think the greatest innovation in radio is the computer! In my days, the early ones, we had things called records … Which got stuck …. And 8 track carts … Which needed rewinding before you could use them …. and …. got stuck! Many times we would put on a song like “Radar love” by Golden Earring, cause it was so long, and would rush off to the loo, coming back to hear to the record stuck, playing the same riff over and over and over.

Q: Besides being a radio DJ, you are also well-known as television director, producer and voice artist. Which of these do you enjoy the most and are there any other disciplines that would like to add to your CV?

A: Web designer! Love it! So creative, I do it for fun, I don’t have any clients or anything, but I do run my own company websites, and do all the design and programming and updating myself. Nothing fantastic mind you, but I do have fun doing it!

Of all the disciplines I have done over the year I love being a DJ the most. I miss it, until just recently I did a show for OFM in the Free state but it didn’t work out, and I left. So …. If you’re looking for someone who knows their stuff…

Q: Which South African radio and television personalities do you admire the most and what advice would you offer those starting out in the industry?

A: May I say the older personalities? John Berks, Clark McKay, David Gresham, and the sharpest of them all John Robbie. I admire them cause they didn’t just walk into a studio and try build audiences through the sound of their own voices, they actually worked on their shows, prepared links, and the golden rule, if they had nothing to say … they didn’t!

Today’s personalities talk and talk and talk, sometimes just too much! I think if you are starting out in the industry, take time to learn where the industry comes from, how it works, listen to some great broadcasters from around the world (easy with streaming these days) and see what real broadcasters do! Take tips from the guys that have been around, they’ve been around for a reason!

May I say though there is one “newer” local personality that I really enjoy on radio and TV … Pabi Moloi. I think she’s got an awesome future ahead of her, and would love to see more like her!

Q: What are your thoughts on the current state of the SABC and do you feel that enough is being done to promote locally produced content?

A: Shocking, terrible, and sad. The SABC has let us all down, producers, actors, financiers, and the public. They do nowhere near enough to promote local content, they don’t go out of their way to grow the industry, I mean just look, DSTV has the VUKA awards which is an incubator run by Big Fish school of digital filmmaking, and it’s free for students, they have awards, they screen the products that the students make, they really try, and encourage youngsters who are the future of this media, but the SABC don’t, and they could, and should!

Q: Do you feel that podcasting will ever become a threat to local radio?

A: No. Not for a long time. Local radio is big because of traffic jams and the fact that the largest demographic listening, don’t have access to internet! Radio is a major form of communication in SA. I think it’s going to stay that way for a long time.

I think where podcasting could play a role though is in keeping the archives of radio and making them available for the worked to hear. For example some of the old Springbok radio shows are available on podcast, as are some of the old Capital shows, and every now and then it’s good to go back and remember, and learn from what those that came before us have done. They set great examples for us to follow. You know, the funny thing about radio, is that NOTHING is new, it’s ALL been done before, just in a different way, by a different person! Podcasting won’t change it, neither will any other technology in a hurry!

Q: What can we look forward to from Paul Freathly in 2010 and beyond?

A: As I get older, I just want to live a quieter life, BUT having said that I am dying to pass on all this knowledge I have, in radio and TV, so hopefully you won’t hear much from me, but will hear from people who are learning from me, changing my ideas and thoughts to creatively blend into today’s mainstream media, on TV and radio all over SA.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: Oh yes. We live in a prison, we don’t reverse out our driveway, and we lock everything all the time. I honestly believe we live in constant fear. My wife and daughter were held up at gunpoint and I was gassed while sleeping and cleaned out, so we’ve been there, and don’t want to go there again! I think South Africa is in trouble, and I think the government need to wake up, and react, before our gorgeous country becomes another Zimbabwe.

Q: If you were tasked with spending a portion of the Lotto revenues on improving South Africa, what would your first project be?

A: Health care. I ended up in the Jhb gen about a year ago, in intensive care. I got better, just so I could get out of there! It was frightening! When I went to have a MRI scan done, having to walk down the stairs to that floor cause the lifts were broken, I was told I couldn’t have the scan because the computer had been stolen! I feel so sad for people who are ending up there because they have no alternatives. We need to care of our people, they make us great.

Q: With less than 30 days to the first African Soccer World Cup, what advice would you offer to first-time visitors looking to sample the best in South African cuisine?

A: I think it would have to be …. BILTONG! As a hobby I make my own biltong at home, I could eat biltong from breakfast lunch and dinner if I got the chance, preferably on pizza! Lol. SA has some wonderful dishes to offer, but also some that just aren’t going to be all that well accepted by foreigners! I am not mad about our local food, I love boerewors, biltong and all those Durban curries! And let’s face it, there’s nothing like a Bunny Chow!

Q: If you could wave your magic wand and change one thing about South Africa, what would it be?

A: Crime. It’s going to ruin our country!

Life in Johannesburg

Q: What do you most enjoy about living in Johannesburg?

A: The sea! …. Hang on, am I dreaming again? To be honest I am not mad about Johannesburg, it’s not my city of choice, rather a case of living where the work is!

Q: Favorite destination for an outing with a group of friends in or around Johannesburg?

A: I am a real homebody, love being at home, with the family, relaxing, but if I do go out, it’s more often than not just to the Brightwater commons! It’s become such a cosmopolitan place over the past few years and I love strolling around, watching people, eating prawns. I am not one of those “got to be seen at every event” kinda people, in fact I would rather not! I am these days even taking my name off the TV shows I work on, and instead giving my protégés a chance to get recognized for what they do. I feel I have been there and done it, and got the wet T-shirt. Now it’s someone else’s turn, and I want to help.

Q: If you were tasked with commissioning a 2010 World Cup poster depicting the beauty of Johannesburg, what images would you select?

A: Wow difficult question. Suppose you don’t want pictures of taxis, potholes or traffic jams do you? To me Johannesburg has an early morning beauty, as the sun rises, over the city, the early morning fog starts to lift, the hawkers come out and set up their little stalls, the warming fires get lit, the traffic starts to move, people start heading off to work … that’s the real Johannesburg. The reality of day-to-day life in the city for so many.

General

Q: If you could invite any three South African radio and television personalities to a poker game, who would you invite and what snacks would you serve?

A: I would invite John Robbie, Pabi Moloi and Michael de Pinna. John would play according to the rules, he will have prepared, studied the experts, and be ready to go all out to win. Pabi would play for fun, frivolously, in a lighthearted style, adding glamour to the event, and would probably win! Michael would pretend he knew how to play, and would fake all the moves, losing …. to me! As for snacks … I would be clever, and hold the evening at O Braseiro, the Portugese restaurant, so they could worry about that!

Q: Which book would make required reading for all school-leavers and which book would you say has influenced you the most?

A: I wish there was a book called “Believe your Dad, he’s been there before”. Written by me, but there isn’t, so I would suggest that each individual find that one book themselves, that lifts them up, inspires them and drives them to be more than they are. It has to be a different book for everyone, otherwise we would all be the same person.

Q: Given a free hour at home, which would you rather do, put your feet up and relax or look for something productive to do?

A: A free hour? What’s that? The couch …. Feet up, relaxing, hopefully watching something good on TV, if not, maybe just dozing!

Q: What advice would most like to give the 18-year-old you?

A: Make the most of everything while you are young enough to be able to! You get old damn fast, and once you’re old, there’s no going back! You want to …. it’s just that you can’t!

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: I would love to see some of the SABC’s commissioning editors on here. They are the people who make all the decisions at the moment with regards to our national broadcaster, let’s find out more about them, who they are, why they make the decisions they make, who they think the SABC broadcasts to, those sort of things, hey another question we could ask them is, what qualifications they have for the job! If you can’t get one of them, you might want to ask young Kamza Bako a question or two, he’s the presenter of Treasure Hunt on SABC 2, also a roving reporter on Talk SA, an ex radio 2000 presenter and 5 fm presenter, and he’s only like 24, he’s gonna go far! Love his work.

We’d like to thank Paul for taking the time to answer our questions and wish him every success for the future.