Gillman to leave breakfast show

2006-02-07 08:41

Johannesburg - Radio DJ Mark Gillman has shocked his fans by announcing on air that he will be leaving the breakfast show.

After entertaining 5fm listeners for nine years, Gillman, 35, will be leaving on June 30.

According to the 5fm website, Gillman said he "will be developing his broadcasting career in new arenas with plans for a groundbreaking new show in development".

The 5fm website reports that station manager John Langford said: We've been aware of Mark's plans for quite some time now. He wanted to go in March 2005 and has been alluding to his departure for the past two months with his 'last summer...' on-air campaign."

Langford described Gillman's duration at the station as "irreverent, inventive and very idiosyncratic".

Gillman will be involved in the station in the form of his creative radio technology company - TMGS Creative. Beeld reports that he is also working on a new programme for 5fm but remains tight-lipped about his new project, merely stating that a change was needed to challenge him.

Far from being nostalgic about his show, Gillman states that he doesn't enjoy reflecting on his career and often forgets what he had done and said on air.

According to Beeld, one interview that springs to mind though is that with former president Nelson Mandela. Although he was eager to interview Mandela, the interview did not turn out to be as interesting as he had hoped. "I have conducted much more interesting interviews with a man with a dog," he said.

Outspoken Gillman insulted one of his colleagues on air by calling her a "buffalo bitch". The Broadcasting Complaints Commission did not reprimand him for the comment as he apologised to her. A complaint was also made about his remark that Afrikaans schools are "bonehead schools", but the complaint was unsuccessful.

The Mark Gillman Breakfast Show on 5FM is broadcast between 06:00 and 09:00 on weekdays.

5fm will announce their new line-up shortly.

- News24