Lester Kiewit does what he loves most on new show: 'Tell stories, and listen to people tell theirs'

• On Monday, Lester Kiewit kicked off The Morning Review on CapeTalk. 
• He tells Channel24: "Radio been in my blood since I walked through the doors at Cape Talk as a 19-year-old in 2004, then a stint on TV news, and then to return to the station in 2018." 
• "I want to create radio that makes people want to sit in their parked car in their driveway until the interview has ended," he says. 

Lester began his journey with Primedia Broadcasting over a decade ago before moving to TV. Since returning to CapeTalk, he has hosted several shows, including an evening talk programme and the Midday Report. 

He tells Channel24: "Radio been in my blood since I walked through the doors at Cape Talk as a 19-year-old in 2004, then a stint on TV news, and then to return to the station in 2018." 

But what he has enjoyed most, he says, has little to do with the specifics of the job. "We work smart and hard on the show and try to do a lot of planning. It means my afternoons are free. I can pick my daughter up from school and spend almost every afternoon with her. That's a huge privilege. 

"But when it comes to radio, immediacy and instant audience feedback and participation have always drawn me to the broadcast medium," he says. 

About taking over The Morning Review, Lester says: "While I've really enjoyed using my hard-nosed journalistic background in presenting the Midday Report, I'm a bit ready to hang up my notepad and pen, to take on the role of being opinionated and the driver of conversation and debate."

Now, with a longer timeslot, Lester says that he is looking to "slow down the pace" and "breathe, and absorb the conversation on the Morning Review".

"I want to create radio that makes people want to sit in their parked car in their driveway until the interview has ended," he says. 

He adds: "Our show producers Amy-Rae Rispel and Waleed Ajourhaar have been given carte blanche to spend as much time searching for interesting stories and finding interesting people."

When asked what listeners can expect from the show, he says: "We want to have fun and try to be funny at the same time. I have a bit of a cheeky sense of humour, I think. We want to use that."

The team is working on a feature called 'Asking For A Friend: Bad Advice for Good People,' where listeners are invited to ask agony-aunt style questions.

"It's advice you shouldn't take seriously, but hopefully, that can give you a smile," he says. 

Other features include 'In The Chair' - a weekly, in-depth interview with a current newsmaker.

"In The Chair will be our leading and most important interview of the week, with a person that has an impact in Cape Town, South Africa, and the World." 

But about who he has on his interview bucket list, Lester says that he isn't "hung up on politicians or celebrities". 

"An interview with an everyday person telling their story, that has emotion, and empathy, to me, is more moving than any spin a politician can spew out," he says.

Want to learn more about the business of radio? We speak to DJ Mo Flava here.