He is the first radio presenter to have a huge billboard in the heart of Gaborone over the Bull & Bush flyover bridge. Since leaving Gabz Fm close to a year ago, there has been some dullness in the stations afternoon drive show where he used to thrill his audience with off-beat comedies. However, it was always a matter of time until his return. Many thought the newly launched Duma Fm would be the place where he would re-emerge, but it looks like going back home to RB2 was his first choice.
Dignash cut his teeth in broadcasting in 1992 when he was one of the first eight presenters to hit the airwaves on RB2 in April that year. His stay at the government radio station was however short-lived because of misunderstandings with management. He resurfaced years later when he joined Gabz FM at its inception in 2000. Initially, the going was very tough at the adult radio station until Tony Anderson, the stations second manager, let him do a comedy show feature. Just when it was beginning to take shape, he took everyone by surprise when he left to join the fledgling Yarona Fm. The wheels really came off for him at the station, as he just could not connect with the young audience.
Upon taking office as station manager at Gabz Fm, Kennedy Otsheleng recruited him back to the station where he finally shone and salvaged his radio career. His five-minute comedy prank call feature at 5pm became the biggest radio feature in the country until the time he left last year. It was during his second tenure at GABZ FM that an idea to put together a compilation CD of some of the most hilarious comedy skits came about. The 11-skit Now Were Talking Vol 1 CD was released in 2005 and did very well on the market. But in early 2006, his relationship with Otsheleng began to go sour and he subsequently left at the very top of his game. He released his second CD at the end of last year and because he was not on radio to promote and market it, it did not do so well.
He now comes back to radio at RB2. Going by the first show last week, it is not very clear what the show is about, as he did not really do much. It may well be that he is still rusty and getting himself acquainted to a new environment. It is going to be a great challenge for him to get back to his hey-day at Gabz Fm. The audience is certainly different and more Setswana-driven.
The sort of comedy/jokes that worked so well at Gabz Fm may not do so with the more conservative RB2 audience. RB2 is most popular in rural areas and so he is going to have to re-invent himself pretty fast if he is to make this audience happy. Someone correctly remarked to me the other day that Dignash is at his best when he is funny while he is less effective when he does serious topics. So it remains to be seen how he is going to be both funny and market Debswana at the same time.
But if there is a guy who can do it, it has to be Dignash - welcome back to the airwaves Diggy. Dont ever stop!
